


Strike It Twice

by seizethejongdae



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Bombs, Death, Explicit Language, Guns, Hostage Situations, M/M, Murder, Needles/Syringes, Police, The Flash - Freeform, Violence, elements from The Flash (CW), major scientific inaccuracy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 18:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 206,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15006665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seizethejongdae/pseuds/seizethejongdae
Summary: whaddup I'm Sehun, I'm 25, and I never fucking learned how to speed (until a lightning bolt hit me)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Self Prompt: Concept: Sehun as the Flash.  
> Pairing: Jongdae/Sehun  
> Rating: T+  
> Warnings: violence, explicit language, bombs, guns, the police, hostage situations, needles/syringes, murder, death, major scientific inaccuracy  
> Author’s note: 
> 
> All my love and thanks to:
> 
> \- The mods for their hard work, especially Mod C, a whole queen with endless patience, love, support, and talent!!  
> \- A, an irl Kamala Khan, my hero who inspires me by breathing bless  
> \- J, my beautiful tulris without whomst I would've absolutely never finished thiS it's an honor to write next to a genius like you!!!  
> \- M, an angel who brightens my entire life I would take a billion lightning bolts for you  
> \- Mr. Kim Jongdae whose future is the only thing brighter than his smile wow I love that man  
> \- Mr. Oh Sehun whose heart is the only thing bigger than his broad shoulders and his pectonic plates...king

“Who are you?” the man demanded. 

Sehun stared at the barrel of the gun pointed directly at him and took a shaky breath. If he had the composure, he would’ve laughed. Usually he was the one asking that question.

“My name is Oh Sehun,” he calmly said, or as calmly as he could, “and I’m a—”    

“No, _no_ ,” the man said, gesturing with his other hand to the ground, “Why do you have a badge? Are you the police? I’ll _shoot_ you.”

Sehun glanced at the badge that had fallen out of his pocket and picked it up, slowly raising it in the air. Of course today was the day that he finally decided to wake up earlier than usual to visit the bank, and now here he was. Stuck in the middle of a bank robbery.

“It’s my badge I use to enter my work building,” he softly said, not wanting to make any sudden moves, “It’s not a police badge. You can take a look if you want…I’m just a journalist.”

The man snatched up the badge and turned it in his hands three times before throwing it back down at Sehun’s feet. Satisfied, he stalked across the room to check for the fifth time that all the blinds were closed and the doors were locked. Like the other civilians in the room, Sehun kept his head down and avoided attracting any unnecessary attention. But every time the robber waved his gun in the air, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on his breathing, tried to focus on the steady dripping of rain that danced on the roof and the pavement outside.

Every now and then, Sehun looked up, counting the seconds on the white clock that hung above the front doors, counting the windows that were covered with black blinds, counting the hostages that hadn’t been fast enough or lucky enough to escape in time. Fifteen. There were fifteen other hostages huddled around the marble floor of the bank’s lobby, not including himself. Did they ask themselves the same questions that raced through Sehun’s mind? What if they had slept in a few more seconds? What if they were running late and didn’t have time to stop at the bank? What if they hadn’t come here at all?

Sehun pulled his knees to his chest and surveyed the robber who peeked out of the front blinds every now and then, cursing under his breath. Around the seventh time he lifted the blinds up, red and blue flashing lights stared back at him.

“Fuck!” the man shouted, beginning to pace around and around in a circle, holding his head in his hands, the gun still in his grasp.

The loud swear caused the woman next to Sehun to press a hand over her mouth and stifle a sudden cry. The muffled sound caught the robber’s attention, causing him to stride over in her direction. 

“I thought I told you to stay _quiet_ ,” he bellowed, waving the gun recklessly in the air, “all of you.”

But the loud volume of his voice and aggressive gestures caused the woman to let out a sob and begin loudly crying. Sehun turned his body slightly, debating whether or not he should comfort her. If he moved, would the robber shoot him? After a second of hesitation, Sehun only flexed his fingers and kept his eyes to the floor. Seconds later, he saw a pair of black shoes in his line of sight. When he looked up, the robber had approached the woman and pointed his gun in her face.

“I will _shoot_ you if you won’t stop,” he said, causing the woman to shake her head. Though she pressed her hands against her mouth, she was unable to stop crying.

Sehun heard the sound of the safety suddenly clicked off and opened his mouth before he could even think.

“Shouldn’t you be worrying about the police?” Sehun said, wishing for a second he hadn’t spoken as the robber turned his attention and gun onto him. “Leave her alone.”

“Shouldn’t you be worrying about being shot or not?” the robber spat out, “All I wanted was to make off with the money, but you’ve all ruined my _plan_.”

Too bad the robber hadn’t been fast enough. Too bad the bank teller had reacted sooner than the robber expected and alerted the police as they were slowly pulling out the wanted money. Too bad the robber couldn’t just quickly run away. 

“I could write an exposé piece about you,” Sehun babbled. It wasn’t his fault he rambled and ran his mouth in high-pressure situations. “I can talk about how you’re many things…Robber by day, average guy by night. Ugly guy in a mask by day, uglier guy without a mask by night. Unless for some reason you like wearing masks and you never t—” 

“Just shut _up_ ,” the man bellowed, swiping his hand in the air. Sehun noticed how the man’s finger was held over the trigger and clenched his fists, trying to stay calm. The woman beside Sehun let out another loud sob, covering her face in her hands. Before the robber could turn his attention back to her, Sehun impulsively spoke again.

“Can you, like…not,” Sehun stammered, trying to speak in one breath to make his voice sound less shaky. It was difficult to breathe properly when he was fighting a racing heartbeat that thundered through his chest. He could feel the stares of the other hostages around him and briefly considered that they probably thought he had a death wish for speaking like this. But at least if all the attention was on him, then the others wouldn’t be hurt. First at least.

“New plan,” the robber announced, suddenly pressing his gun to Sehun’s forehead. Sehun was surprised that his hands weren’t shaking as much as he thought they would. “I shoot you and tell the police that I’ll kill the rest of the hostages if they don’t let me go with my money.”

Sehun resisted the urge to tell him technically it wasn’t his money because they were still at the bank surrounded by the police. His forehead prickled where the gun touched him, and he balled his fists to stop them from shaking. But this could not be the end because there was no way he’d be hurt. Not when he knew there were people right outside who would never let that happen.

“You will regret that if you shoot,” Sehun said, blinking up at the robber who stared right back. The robber fell silent, almost considering his words, but erupted in laughter when Sehun let out a shuddering breath, betraying the panic.

“You know, I’m really tempted to just pull it now,” the robber said, digging the barrel of the gun harder against Sehun’s forehead. Sehun gritted his teeth, fighting to stay calm as the people around him gasped. “I’ve waited long enough, and the police seem like they don’t care for negotiating.”

“Then pull it,” Sehun said. He looked calmer than he felt. Or at least he hoped he did. “See where that takes you tomorrow. You’ll regret this.”

Sehun didn’t know what had happened to him today. It would’ve been safer to shut up and sit quietly like the rest of the hostages. What if he had simply minded his own business? What if he hadn’t thought of defending someone he didn’t even personally know?

“You’re not going to be around to stop me if I shoot,” the robber said, adjusting the grip on his gun.

But if Sehun hadn’t visited the bank today, then a different person would’ve sat here in his place, and he didn’t want that either. So he took a deep breath and kept speaking.

“You’re right,” Sehun said, “I won’t.”

“Then I’ll shoot right now,” the robber said, flexing the finger he placed on the trigger. Sehun dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands, trying not to scream, trying not to make any sudden moves. If there were time for last words, then he’d say that h—

“Listen up, asshole, because I’m only saying this once,” a voice suddenly spoke through a megaphone from outside the bank.

The robber jerked forwards and rushed towards the front of the bank, peeking through the blinds. Sehun sagged in relief, and he laughed. They were going to be fine.

“I won’t,” Sehun called out again, watching the robber pull at his hair and stomp around the room, “but he will.”

“One. Release the hostages safely or we’ll assume you have murderous intent, which doesn’t look very good in front of a judge or a jury,” the voice calmly continued.

“Two. I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but if anyone is harmed, especially that beautiful, tall man with black hair and chiseled cheekbones sculpted by the fucking gods themselves, you’re never walking out of here alive,” the voice continued.

“You call this a hostage negotiation?” the man screamed. The voice fell silent, but within seconds, the phone at the front desk began to ring.

It was wrong, but Sehun smiled as he watched the man rub his face and scream into the phone because he knew who was on the other side of the line, who was on the other side of the door, who was meters away about to save him.

“I won’t send out all the hostages,” the man spat into the receiver, “Do you see what type of a situation that leaves me?”

“Someone very brave, very good at what he does,” Sehun said to the woman beside him, “is going to save us. So don’t cry, okay?”

She turned, her eyes darting across his face as if to determine whether or not he was telling the truth. His smile never wavered, so she sniffled and nodded quickly.

“Fine, _fine_ ,” the man said, “I’ll send out three. I want a safe way out of here after that. And the money.”

After slamming the phone down, the man stared into nowhere for a moment before pulling two hostages to their feet without saying a word. They let out a few gasps and a small scream, but neither resisted as he pushed them towards the front door.

“You,” the man said, pointing at Sehun, “I don’t want to deal with you anymore. Get out.”

It would’ve been so easy for Sehun to go, to get to safety. He was no hero, just an average civilian with an average job. Situations like this were for the police, for people who had to care more than he did to put themselves in danger. But there was just something in the way the woman beside him continued to cry that made Sehun sigh and remain seated. And besides. Now that the police were here, Sehun had no worries anymore.

“No,” Sehun said, pointing at the woman, “Get her out instead. It’ll look better if you send out a crying hostage. It’ll show you want to cooperate.”

“What do you know about the police?” the man said.

“Enough to know that you’re fucked,” Sehun brightly said. But he didn’t believe in the police, really. Just one man, just one person who wasn’t even an actual cop.

The man paused before turning his attention away from Sehun.

“ _You_ ,” the man said before he grabbed the woman next to Sehun and dragged her away.

The man opened the front door cautiously, peeking through the crack. Sehun was too far away to see how many police cars and police officers had been summoned. Even as the man opened the door wide enough to let the hostages outside, he could only see flashing blue and red lights. Nothing else. No one else.

After three of the hostages ran outside with their hands over their heads, the man slammed the door shut, locked it, and pulled the blinds back over it. It was honestly only a matter of time now. On bad days, the situation might have dragged out for hours and hours and hours, ending with a few injuries or worse. But today was not one of those days, and a few moments later, a SWAT team stormed into the main lobby of the bank, having entered from a door the robber didn’t account for. Within seconds, the man was tackled to the floor, disarmed, and arrested.

Sehun ignored the SWAT team who carried guns as big as the man had carried, ignored the commotion around him, and stared at the doors. When they swung open with a bang, he scanned the first responders rushing in before immediately picking himself up off of the ground and running across the marble hall as soon as he saw.

Who he wanted to see had stopped in his tracks, arms wide open, and Sehun flew into him, bending down to press his face in that warm neck.

“Jongdae,” Sehun sighed.

Even though Jongdae held him back so tightly, Sehun felt like he could breathe again, like everything was right again. And because today could have been the last time and because there could have been no tomorrow, Sehun told him he loved him again and again and again. There was really no point in holding back those words, no point in saving them for a special moment so they meant more.

He had already said it when he had first opened his eyes after waking up to not any blaring alarm, but soft kisses and sweet singing when Jongdae had left their apartment for the morning to go to work, and when he texted a reply to Jongdae’s good morning message. Sehun loved Jongdae every single moment of his life, so it was only right he said it as often as possible. Today. Tomorrow. Now. Forever.

“Why didn’t you go out first with the other hostages?” Jongdae said at last, stepping back to look Sehun up and down for injuries.

“I wanted to, honestly, but it’s okay if I would’ve been the last person to go out,” Sehun said, allowing Jongdae to lift up his sleeves to check for any possible bruises, scrapes, wounds, “ I knew you were there, so nothing would have happened to me. You wouldn’t have allowed it.”

“No. Never,” Jongdae said, gripping Sehun’s shoulders tightly, gaze darting around Sehun’s face. He stared a moment longer before sighing and standing on his tiptoes to kiss Sehun. Immediately, Sehun closed his eyes and easily kissed him back. He heard nothing, not the loud, hurried orders some police officer yelled, not the scurrying footsteps against the marble floors, not even the blaring alarms in the background. But oh, he felt everything. He felt the softness of Jongdae’s lips, his own beating heart pound against his chest for only the right reasons, and something so wonderfully electrifying strike all of him all at once. It was impossible for time to stop, but in moments like this, how did it not?

“I’m so glad you’re fine. Although I’m not surprised that we heard from the other hostages that you opened your mouth to talk back,” Jongdae shook his head.

“It’s a reflex in high pressure situations,” Sehun said, “You know that. But I had to do something because he was threatening someone.”

“You and your big heart,” Jongdae said, tilting his head to stare. A small smile flitted across his lips. “It’s going to get you killed one day if you don’t be more careful. Leave the saving to the police, okay?”

“I shut up after you spoke on the megaphone,” Sehun grinned, ignoring the three paramedics who suddenly rushed inside, “You’re really my hero. I would’ve been even more scared without you.”

Jongdae let out another sigh before pressing his face to Sehun’s chest. Sehun instantly moved his hands, one to cradle the back of Jongdae’s head, the other to rub Jongdae’s back. Around them, the police began to slowly guide the hostages outside. Jongdae wasn't even supposed to be here, was supposed to be across town at his lab with his fellow forensics analyst Baekhyun. 

“What if you got hurt,” Jongdae said, his voice muffled.

“I didn’t,” Sehun said, stroking Jongdae’s blond hair. The bleach had slightly frizzled out the ends of his hair, but Jongdae didn’t care. He liked his hair blond, enough to fuck it up every now and then whenever he could or whenever his hair was healthy enough.

“What if you got shot,” Jongdae said, clenching the fabric of Sehun’s shirt tightly around his fists.

“I didn’t,” Sehun said.

“What if you _died_ ,” Jongdae said, his shoulders beginning to shake.

“I didn’t,” Sehun said, gently prying Jongdae away so he could face him. Jongdae’s eyebrows had furrowed, his lips pressed together, and he stared at Sehun like any second could be the last. “You saved me, so I’m still here. Tomorrow’s still here. Want to get coffee tomorrow?”

Jongdae let out a shaky laugh and pressed his hands against the sides of Sehun’s face.

“We can get coffee today and tomorrow and any time you want,” Jongdae said before his smile began to wobble again, “But you really scared me. Don’t go into banks anymore, okay? Just visit outdoor ATMs…And isn’t mobile banking really taking off these days? Don’t you have some of their apps?”

“You can just go with me next time,” Sehun smiled, “We’ll be fine together.”

“Or that,” Jongdae said, his smile brightening at last, “Go home and rest now, okay? I wish I could skip work to take you, but—”

“Oh, no,” Sehun said, waving his hand, “It’s fine, really. I have some stuff to finish at work anyways. This was nothing, so I’ll be okay.” 

Jongdae was about to open his mouth to protest before a police officer approached and tapped his shoulder.

“Sorry, Jongdae. Can I take his statement?” a police officer said, already holding out a small notepad.

“See you tonight. Stay out of trouble,” Jongdae said after giving the policeman a nod, quickly kissing Sehun again before running off.

Sehun stared in awe, watching Jongdae snap on some gloves as he began to work. He wished they had time, but they both had their own jobs, had their own separate lives during the day. When their paths intercepted during their night, that was when their shared apartment felt like a home again.

“Uh, excuse me?” the police officer said, jolting Sehun out of his thoughts, his affection, “Follow me please.”

“Of course,” Sehun said, stealing one last look before shoving his hands into his pocket and walking outside. The early morning sprinkling of rain had worsened, so Sehun immediately pushed his hood over his head to avoid getting soaked. Outside, he saw paramedics tending to the freed hostages, though thankfully, none seemed physically wounded. One paramedic waved him over and handed him a shock blanket.

Sehun sat on the edge of the ambulance, his feet barely dangling over as he wrapped the blanket over him. A few meters away, he saw the woman from before and was glad she, too, didn’t seem to have any visible injuries. She had stopped crying, and once she caught Sehun’s gaze, a small smile spread out across her face, and she nodded once.

“So. Who are you?” the officer said, taking out a piece of paper and a pen.

“My name is Oh Sehun, and I’m a journalist for the Central City Times,” Sehun said, “During the day, I’m just a regular writer fighting deadlines with the help of my editor. I am…ready to go to work, but I guess I’m stuck here, right?”

He had forgotten to send a late notice to his work, so he couldn’t imagine what assumptions everyone would have made about him. Maybe he died. Maybe he slept through his alarm. Maybe some car struck him as he was crossing the street. Or worse. Maybe he quit without telling to join Central City Picture News.

Sehun tried switching on his phone to call work, but found the battery drained. With a sigh, he—

“The sooner you give your statement, the sooner you can be right out of here,” the officer said, causing Sehun to hastily shove the phone back into his pocket, “Can you please describe the events of today’s attempted robbery as best as you can remember?”

Sehun took a deep breath and spoke, staring up at the dark sky as he recounted what had just happened. The stormy clouds covered the whole horizon, and the steady rain didn’t seem like it’d stop any time soon. Perhaps thunder would strike in a few hours if the storm didn’t pass. Shivering, Sehun pulled the blanket closer around him to stay warm.

After answering the policeman’s questions, Sehun gave the blanket back to the paramedics, wishing he’d brought a thicker sweater with him.

“Don’t you have an umbrella?” the policeman asked, “You’ll get a cold.”

“It’s fine,” Sehun said, adjusting his clothes over his bag to shield it from the rain, “I’ll run through the rain.”

“You’re not fast enough to outrun the rain,” the policeman said, “Wait here…I’ll get you a spare umbrella. Jongdae would kill me if I let you go like this." 

“Thanks,” Sehun said when the policeman returned seconds later with a red umbrella, “Stay warm, too, okay?”

The policeman smiled and nodded before Sehun stepped into the rain, his converse squishing through the puddles. As a force of habit, Sehun still walked to Jitter’s for some coffee even though he was already late for work. When he opened the door of the coffee shop, a sudden burst of warmth hit him, and he sighed, taking in a deep breath as he enjoyed the rich smell of coffee brewing and sweet pastries baking in the oven.

“Same thing, Sehun?” the cashier said after it was Sehun’s turn in line.

“Hello, Soojung,” Sehun said, “Same work day order.”

“You never change. That makes my job easier,” Soojung said with a small smile, typing in his order on the screen. She turned behind her to retrieve two cups before limping back.

“Are you all right?” Sehun asked, peering over the counter in concern, “If your foot’s hurt, then you should’ve just taken the day off of work.”

“I only slightly sprained my ankle,” Soojung said, scribbling Sehun’s name on one cup without looking up, “It’s not the end of the world.”

“Still,” Sehun said, placing some money into the tip jar, “Take care of yourself.”

Soojung looked up at Sehun, raising her eyebrows slightly. 

“You really do never change,” she smiled, this time a little bigger, a little brighter, “Always so caring.”

Sehun shrugged.

“Shouldn’t everyone?” he smiled as he handed Soojung some cash for his coffee.

“You would be surprised how some people live in this city,” Soojung said as she handed him his change.

“Really,” Sehun said, thinking of this morning’s events.

“See you tomorrow,” Soojung said, already looking towards the next customer.

Sehun stood near the second counter, waiting for his coffee. He liked to take his time even when he had none so he could enjoy life’s little moments. If he had been rushing, he would’ve missed the look of joy on some grandmother’s face after her grandson presented her with flowers as they sat down for a coffee date, the content smile that blossomed on some woman’s face after she bit into a warm croissant, the tired sigh of relief that left someone’s lips after they took their first sip of coffee.

“Sehun?” the barista announced as she placed his tray of coffees on the counter.

A moment later, as he stepped out the doors with his open umbrella and his drinks, a blast of cold wind blew at him, screaming frosty swears at his face. After ten minutes of braving the cold, he arrived at the headquarters of Central City Times, one of the most distinguished newspapers in the city. A chorus of _Hey Sehun_ ’s chimed as he entered, and he smiled and waved back at his co-workers before stepping into the golden elevator doors that would take him up to his floor.

As soon as the elevator dinged and its doors slid open, Sehun was suddenly face to face with a shorter woman who glared at him through her glasses.

“Sehun,” she said, crossing her arms, “You’re late.”

“Hey Joohyun,” Sehun said, slipping past her to head down the hallway towards their shared office, “Have you done that every time the elevator opened?" 

“You’re _late_ ,” she said, her heels furiously clicking against the floor as she followed him, “I’m an editor, Sehun…what am I supposed to edit if you’ve sent me nothing and you’re not even here for me to force you to write?”

“We both know you don’t edit only my articles,” Sehun smiled, “just say I’m your favorite and go. Coffee?”

Sehun pulled the extra cup from the tray and held it out to her.

“I…thanks,” she muttered, carefully accepting it with both hands. Sehun opened the door to their office and waited for her to walk inside first. 

In their office, Sehun’s desk and Joohyun’s desk were pushed together so they could face each other while they worked. They had agreed to share the space collectively, so the walls displayed an eclectic mix of editing and writing awards they collected over their years, the first article that they each published, and pictures of their loved ones. Many visitors would come in and remark how pretty Jongdae wasand that Joohyun was a lucky woman. Other visitors would similarly marvel at how beautiful Seulgi was and that Sehun was a lucky man. Sehun and Joohyun were never tired of pleasantly telling them that they were all wrong before correcting them.

“Why were you late anyways,” she said, yanking Sehun’s hood back as he took a seat and pulled out his laptop.

“Long story,” Sehun said, setting down the red umbrella near his desk before plugging his phone into a phone charger

“You obviously have time,” Joohyun said, sitting on the edge of his desk as she set the coffee down. Her bright crimson lipstick had stained the edge of her cup.

“I was caught up in a bank robbery this morning if you _have_ to know,” Sehun said as he pulled out his laptop and typed in his passwords, keeping his eyes on the screen as Joohyun gasped.

“How many robbers? Did you get hurt? Did they point a gun at you?” she said, hopping off of the desk to examine Sehun, lifting up his arms before peering at his face.

“One. No. Yes,” Sehun said, pulling up his progress on his next article.

“How can you be so calm?” Joohyun said, dropping her hands to her sides, “You should’ve taken the day off…I’ll take the day off with you, too. We can visit the police station so I can punch him. How dare—”

“What, and miss a chance to work next to my favorite editor?” Sehun asked, staring at what he had written so far before crossing out the first sentence. He could do better.

Joohyun scoffed before heading back to her own desk and opening her own laptop.

“Well, I’m glad you’re fine then,” she said. She stared at him for a moment longer before returning her attention to her work. “Now I want that article within the next hour or you’ll really wish you’d taken the day off. Got it?”      

“Got it,” Sehun smiled, making a circle with his index finger and his thumb and raising it to show Joohyun. She mirrored the sign with a smile, and soon, only the sound of rapid typing and the pouring of rain outside their window filled the silence.

Unlike traditional reporters who wrote about current events, Sehun wrote about people. The average citizens of Central City. He could’ve easily written a front page article about today’s robbery, but that was neither his job nor his interest. Sehun liked wandering the streets asking ordinary citizens _who are you_? Whoever gave him the time and sat down with him to share a bit about their own life would be the subject of his next article.

Apparently the public loved the segment, so Sehun was never required to write about all those robbers, all those shootings, all those crimes. And he was absolutely fine with that.

Today’s article was about Kim Yeri, a high school student. Sehun had met her earlier this week after she accidentally ran into him and knocked him to the ground. After reassuring her he was fine, Sehun had convinced her to delay a bit of her training session to talk to him. While stretching her legs, Yeri told him that she had only started track this year, but she wanted nothing more than to be the fastest person in the whole city. After racing through meets landing only second or third, she was determined to reach first no matter what it took. 

Lately it had been harder to stop people and ask if they would like to sit down for an interview. Most people were in a rush, and less had time to slow down and answer Sehun’s questions or to just talk with him. Sehun wondered if there was a way he could sneak an interview with Soojung between her breaks. He’d always wanted to know more about her. Then again, he’d always wanted to know more about this city. The people he already wrote about were wonderful.

There was Mrs. Kim who spent her days knitting sweaters for the homeless, Park Sooyoung who sweetly volunteered her time at a hospital to hold sickly babies when their parents couldn’t come to the hospital, and Lee Taeyong who spent his free time after school looking for stray dogs before animal control could find them. Sehun truly had no interest in writing about politics and crimes, deaths and assaults for CC Times when he could write about such wonderful people instead.

“It’s starting to really rain out there,” Joohyun said, taking a break to stand by the window. Sure enough, the storm clouds had darkened even more, shadows devouring the previous gray, and the rain mercilessly fell without any sign of stopping. “At least it hasn’t started thundering yet.”

“If it rains tomorrow, I’ll be late again,” Sehun said, absent-mindedly scrolling through some interview notes with another Central City citizen. There really was only so much work he could manage in the day, and after finishing one article, looking through Joohyun’s edits on others, he was ready to just go home.

“Don’t even think about it,” Joohyun said, stepping away from the window, shivering slightly, “You better appear faster than a blink of an eye tomorrow, or I’ll—”

“I’ll be there in a fl—” Sehun said before his cellphone began to ring.

“Hello?” Sehun said.

“Hey Sehun,” Jongdae answered.

“Jongdae,” Sehun relaxed, feeling the corners of his lips pull up instantly, “Hey. I’m finishing work, so I’ll be heading out soon. Should we meet somewhere for dinner, or should I buy takeout since it’s still raining?”

“It looks like I’ll be a little late home,” Jongdae sighed, “You know the recent Captain Cold case? My boss wanted the evidence processed earlier, so I’ll won’t be able to leave now. If only I could finish everything in seconds, you know? Sorry, Sehun.”

Sehun noted the weariness in Jongdae’s voice and pictured Jongdae hunched over tubes and chemicals Sehun didn’t understand, staring at all that data, waiting for results cooped up in that lab of his. It was too bad Jongdae’s job couldn’t be easier, couldn’t have regular work hours that ended and finished at exactly the same time every day, every night.

“No problem, Jongdae,” Sehun said, “I’ll buy something from your favorite place and wait for you, alright?”

“Thank you, Sehun,” Jongdae said. Sehun heard the smile in his voice and closed his eyes to picture it. “You’re the best…my hero.”

“Anything for you,” Sehun smiled. If only he could’ve seen how across the city, Jongdae had closed his eyes and shut out all the rows of data and evidence from those crime scenes to picture Sehun’s smile, too.

“Are you heading back now?” Joohyun said after Sehun hung up. She stood, placing her laptop carefully in her green bag before putting on her coat.

“Maybe I’ll stay a little longer since Jongdae’s going to be home late,” Sehun said, leaning back in his chair.

“Don’t stay too late,” Joohyun said, touching Sehun’s shoulder as she walked past him.

“Wait,” Sehun called out, “You have an umbrella, right?”

“No, I didn’t know it’d be raining this hard,” Joohyun said, pulling her coat tighter around herself.

“Here,” Sehun said, reaching beside his desk to grab his umbrella.

“You’ll freeze,” Joohyun said, shaking her head.

“It’s fine,” Sehun said, thrusting it into her hand, “Really. I won’t write my article if you don’t take it.”

Joohyun threw him a look before she sighed.

“Thanks Sehun,” she said, “Get home safely, okay?”

Sehun promised, and after the door of their office softly shut behind her, he turned his attention back to his screen and rewrote the last paragraph a few times before he began to pack up for the day. He stared outside the window of their office, wondering when the rain had fallen from the sky this hard. There had been only a few tiny drops this morning.

In the elevator, he began preparing himself for the cold, placing his sweater over his bag in case the rain would soak through and damage his laptop. His apartment was about twenty minutes away, so if he ran nonstop, then maybe he’d get there in about fifteen minutes.

Bracing himself, he pushed open the golden front doors and stopped in his tracks. Though the wind tugged at his clothes and roughly tousled his hair, Sehun had never felt so warm. There, standing a few meters from the door stood someone waiting with a red umbrella. If anyone else were to ask him who he was, then Sehun would’ve answered in the dreamiest voice possible, _hi, my name is Oh Sehun, and I’m the luckiest man alive because Kim Jongdae, who I love with my whole entire heart, is my fucking boyfriend._

“Jongdae,” Sehun called out, causing Jongdae to turn around and smile. Sehun ran forwards without a second thought, feeling rain splash against his face before Jongdae quickly held the umbrella over him. The force of Sehun’s hug sent Jongdae taking a few steps backwards with a laugh to avoid toppling over.

“Let’s go home, Sehun,” Jongdae smiled. Sehun looped his arm through Jongdae’s, and the two of them braced the cold as they began walking home together.

“I thought you said you had work,” Sehun said as Jongdae guided them around a deep puddle of water.

“I do,” Jongdae said after exhaling loudly, sending a wispy cloud escaping from his mouth, “But I whined that I couldn’t stand being away from you especially after what happened today until my boss told me to just go.”

“Did Baekhyun go home, too?” Sehun asked.

“No, he stayed to finish,” Jongdae said as they stopped for a street light, “He’ll complain for sure. But it wasn’t actually as urgent as we thought. After analyzing the evidence left at the scene, we concluded that it was actually an imposter. Or whoever wanted us to think it was Captain Cold.”

“So she’s still out there,” Sehun said, bouncing in place to stay warm before giving up and huddling closer to Jongdae, “If she hasn’t struck recently, then…”

He paused, noticing the way Jongdae gripped the umbrella tighter, and locked away the rest of the words.

“That means she’s planning something soon,” Jongdae said, “So don’t go into any banks or jewelry stores or museums anytime soon.”

“After today, you don’t have to worry about me at all,” Sehun said, “ATMs sound nice. Mobile apps I can use at home? Even better.”

For a second, he remembered how the gun felt pressed against his head and clutched Jongdae’s arm tighter.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get there faster,” Jongdae said as they crossed a street, “If I could've run over in a blink of an eye, I would have.”

“I’m okay, Jongdae,” Sehun said. The memory of the gun would fade with time, replaced by softer, better memories of Jongdae laughing, Jongdae smiling, Jongdae living right by his side. He’d forget that robber from the morning and remember the only man who mattered anyways. “Really. Truly. Just because of you.”

Jongdae smiled, and onwards they continued. The rain that struck their umbrella couldn’t possibly drown out the loud thumping of his heart. Sehun had known Jongdae for years and years, had loved him for what felt like longer than years and years, and yet every time Jongdae smiled, kissed him, and held his hand, Sehun always felt like it was the first time he realized that he loved Jongdae.

When they reached the apartment they shared, they forgot about buying dinner and heated up some leftovers because neither had the heart to bother some underpaid delivery person in this weather. Afterwards, they climbed into bed and curled up together. While Sehun read out his latest draft of an article, Jongdae clung to his arm, and he doodled little lightning bolts onto Sehun’s skin with a red pen.

It rained harder than either one of them could remember, but from the way the two soundly slept in each other’s arms that night, Sehun would’ve thought that there was nothing but the full moon and the shining stars dancing in the clear night sky. This was how Jongdae always made him feel.

Safe. Sound. Secure.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

The next morning, Sehun awoke to rustling sheets and a gentle kiss good-bye. 

“Stay,” Sehun murmured sleepily, struggling to keep his eyes open. If only they had more time in the morning to lazily rest together. But they didn’t. Or at least Jongdae didn’t. If Jongdae was up at this hour, then there was a crime scene waiting for him.

“I can’t,” Jongdae said, reaching out to stroke Sehun’s back. “I have work. There was a burglary yesterday, and I have check out the scene.”

“ _Stay_ ,” Sehun tried again. He didn’t know how Jongdae could be alert at this hour, as he was unable to sit up and barely managing to speak even a single word.

“I can’t,” Jongdae said, letting out a little laugh, “I love you, but I can’t. Sleep a little more, all right? I’ve got work.”

Sehun couldn’t believe that all these criminals had the audacity to break the law at such a time of day and cause Jongdae to leave him so early, so _early_. 

“I’m picking you up…for lunch,” Sehun said, his voice barely a whisper, “even criminals need lunch breaks.” 

“Sounds perfect. Don’t forget your umbrella today, okay?” Jongdae said, pressing a quick kiss to Sehun’s lips and another one to his forehead for good measure before he was gone.

Sehun blearily blinked, watching Jongdae pick up his bag, throw on his jacket, and grab a red umbrella. A second later, Jongdae left, and only after the door softly shut behind him did Sehun roll back into the blankets and sleep again.

A loud crack of thunder jolted Sehun awake an hour later. Blearily he rubbed his eyes, checked the time on his bedside clock before tiredly fumbling for his phone. He blinked as his screen lit up with a light too bright for this time of the morning. Jongdae had left a good morning message with at least ten hearts for him to see when he awoke. Work sent him a couple of emails regarding today’s newspaper, but he read those later. Yawning, he stretched before sliding his feet down, hissing as the cold floor shocked him. Moments later, he made some breakfast while listening to the rain outside. It seemed like the weather had worsened overnight. He didn’t feel like going outside, so he pulled out his phone and made a call.

“Joohyun,” Sehun said when she picked up her phone, “Can I skip today? It’s raining even harder. Have you seen this weather?”

He expected a no and waited for the no, but it couldn’t hurt to try.

“If I’m going, then you better come, too,” Joohyun said. There it was. “See you in half an hour, okay?” 

And that was that.

If Sehun skipped work today, then he wouldn’t be able to see Soojung and Joohyun at all. So with a sigh, he got dressed after a warm shower, remembered to grab an umbrella, and headed out the door with a thicker jacket today.

When he breathed, little frosty puffs appeared in the air, and Sehun shivered, walking as quickly as he could throughout the city. The rain was relentless today, the clouds somehow even darker than before, like some of the night had bled into the morning sky. It was odd. Central City had never seen such rain before.

He picked up some coffee from Soojung who told him to stay safe and decided to sit for a minute to enjoy the warmth from the coffee shop before having to plunge himself into the cold outside again. Someone sat down next to him, unwrapping at least three red and gold scarves from their neck, and ten minutes later, Sehun had his next article.

But those five minutes were ten minutes he should have spent walking to work, so to make up for lost time, Sehun ran through the rain, dodging past street lights and yelling out loud apologies to anyone he brushed past.

Before he was too late, he pushed open the golden doors of his work building and ran to the elevator, jamming the button as water dripped from his umbrella and his shoes. The security guard stared at him, but before he could tell Sehun to take his umbrella outside, the elevator dinged pleasantly. Sehun leaped in and pressed the close button over and over again until the doors finally closed.

After reaching his floor, Sehun strode down the hall without taking the time to greet his other co-workers, his shoes leaving wet prints in the carpet and his umbrella still dripping onto the floor. When he opened the door to his office, he found another writer hovering over Joohyun’s shoulder.

“You didn’t fix this like I told you to,” Joohyun said, tapping the screen with her finger, “and this is the wrong verb tense. What are you even doing? Are you paid to mess around? This is the Central City Times. You can’t make mistakes like this and hope the editors will clean them all up. I don’t believe you’ve sent this to the copy editor. They would’ve never approved this.”

The writer stammered out apology after apology as Joohyun took her glasses off to shoot him a glare. Sehun was glad he had never experienced the full force of her anger, watching the writer cower under Joohyun’s look.

“If I don’t have an improved version of this article in an hour, I won’t wait to petition Qian to fire you. I’ll do it myself,” Joohyun said. The writer rapidly nodded, promising that he’d do better before racing out of the room.

Joohyun turned to Sehun, the coldness melting off of her face, and she smiled as he handed her a coffee.

“You’ll get a cold if you keep going out in this weather like that,” she said as she accepted her coffee, “Don’t you have a thicker jacket?”

“You were the one that told me to come,” Sehun said, placing his umbrella in the corner of the room before sitting down across from her.

“Seulgi’s gone for this week,” Joohyun sighed, “then who would I talk to? And we have a deadline, Sehun. The news doesn’t stop if it rains.”

“I don’t even write weather,” Sehun said, “Can’t you just write a single front page headline about how this is the biggest thunderstorm Central City’s seen in years? We’ll be done and home in seconds.”

“Qian won’t like that,” Joohyun said with a shake of her head, “Weather doesn’t make front page.”

“It should when it won’t stop raining,” Sehun said, glancing out of the window to find the glass still foggy from the cold, “Since when did we get weather like this? It really…came out of nowhere.”

Joohyun looked up from her screen and paused to consider his words.

“If you get most of your work done today, we can work from home tomorrow,” she said, “You’re right…I don’t think anyone should be outside if the storm only worsens.”

Sehun nodded, but it wasn’t like it’d be any different tomorrow. If they worked from home, then they’d still chat online or talk on the phone while they wrote.

“Oh, today I met someone at Jitter’s who I think I could write another article on,” Sehun said, taking a short break after writing a single sentence. While he sometimes stared blankly at the screen before switching tabs and becoming distracted for half an hour, Joohyun could focus and finish editing a whole article before Sehun could even start writing a second paragraph.

“Good,” Joohyun said, “I trust your judgment and your writing, unlike some people in this office, so write it up when it’s time, and I’ll take a look at it.”

“You’re the best,” Sehun smiled.

“You’re too kind,” Joohyun said, looking up to smile, “but you’re right.”

The two continued to work and fell back into a silence punctuated by the sound of their fingers rapidly moving over their keyboards. When they typed this quickly, it sounded as if the rain outside had manifested inside their office, falling heavily on their little keys.

A firm knock on the door a little before their lunch break interrupted them, and as soon as the door opened, Sehun straightened up, attempting to look more alert and focused.

“Joohyun, Sehun,” Qian, their editor-in-chief called, leading two other men inside the room. “This is Mayor Kim and his son Junmyeon. They wanted a tour of our newspaper building, so I’m showing them around.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Mayor Kim said, striding forwards with his hand outstretched. He looked just like he did on the cover of every newspaper, every important TV broadcast, and election banner. Wrinkles around his eyes from all the smiling. Perfect white teeth. Single dimple on one cheek.

Sehun stood to shake his hand, resisting the urge to pry the mayor’s constricting grip from his own. He managed an appropriate smile before the mayor turned to shake Joohyun’s hand. Her arm wobbled up and down as he shook it enthusiastically. 

“You’re doing very fine work here, and I’ve always had a soft spot for your newspaper,” the mayor said after he released Joohyun’s hand, “I can’t say I recall any smear articles from here when I was running for the office or even now.”

“That’s not our style,” Qian said, “We report the news, not groundless rumors, and those who write editorials here don’t have anything particularly scathing to say about you.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, adjusting his gold tie. Sehun would not be surprised if it were actually sewn with real threads of gold. “More newspapers should take after you.” 

“Come this way. Next, I’ll show you our—” Qian said, guiding them out the door before Junmyeon touched his father’s arm.

“Father,” Junmyeon said, “I’ll stay here. I have a couple of questions I want to ask these reporters.”

“I’m an editor,” Joohyun called out, already turning back to her work.

“Yes, yes,” Mayor Kim nodded, “Call one of my secretaries when you want to go home.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you!” Junmyeon said.

“Godspeed, you good people,” the mayor cheerfully said to Joohyun and Sehun before he turned back to Junmyeon, "Godspeed, my son."

When the door shut behind them, Sehun pressed his lips together, not knowing what to do. Junmyeon hovered by their desk, staring at them, and at this point, maybe if Sehun pretended that no one was there, then he wouldn’t feel this uncomfortable.

“So!” Junmyeon said, clapping his hands together to catch their attention. He looked exactly like his father’s younger self, though his silk tie was white. “You work for the newspaper! That’s really cool.”

“Yes,” Joohyun flatly said, not looking up from her screen, “I know.”

“What do you do, Junmyeon?” Sehun said, asking half out of pity, half out of the desire to keep a rigid silence from falling again.

“I’m an entrepreneur, aspiring politician, philanthropist,” Junmyeon said, raising his fingers one by one to count his professions, “and one day, I’ll be the mayor of this city, just like my father.”

“You’ll have to be elected first,” Joohyun said, taking a sip out of her coffee mug to hide her expression.

“Yes, but the people love me, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Junmyeon cheerfully said, fixing his golden cufflinks.

Sehun took another look at him and dismissed him as just another rich trust fund kid he wouldn’t trust.

“Anyways,” Junmyeon said, tapping the desk with a finger, “can you look up an article for me please? It’s about the recent opening of the new performing arts center. I want to check on its progress since I’m in it.”

“It hasn’t been finalized yet,” Joohyun said, “so no.”

“I’m the mayor’s son,” Junmyeon said, touching Joohyun’s arm, “Please?”

“No,” Joohyun said, jerking her arm away.

“You can look at what I’m writing if you want,” Sehun said as he watched the deepening scowl on Joohyun’s face, “I’m still working on it, but if you want to see how—”

“What do you write, Sehun?” Junmyeon said. Sehun exhaled when Junmyeon turned away from Joohyun but regretted his decision when Junmyeon placed a hand on his chair and leaned closer to him, poking his head near the screen. 

“I interview average people of Central City. All of them have very extraordinary stories, and everyone should be heard, so—” Sehun began to say before Junmyeon straightened up.

“Then I can’t believe you haven’t written about me yet!” Junmyeon said with a laugh, slapping Sehun’s back.

“I…only write about people I bump into,” Sehun said, noticing how Joohyun’s gaze suddenly shot up after she heard the slap, “and who take the time to talk to me. I haven’t seen you before.”

“Just on television, right?” Junmyeon grinned, revealing dazzling white teeth. 

“Sure,” Sehun said, “Yeah…I guess.”

“Anyways, about that article,” he said, walking to Joohyun’s desk again. Joohyun had taken off her glasses, rubbed her face, and by this time, Sehun was guessing there was only minutes to go before she blew up at him. 

“If I show it to you,” she said in a strangely calm voice, “Will you let us work?”

“Yes, yes, of course!” Junmyeon nodded, “I haven’t even visited the other reporters yet! As the mayor’s son, I should say hello to everyone and thank them for working so hard.”

“Alright,” Joohyun muttered, and after a few clicks of her mouse, she pulled out the article.

“Oh, that’s a lovely opening sentence,” Junmyeon said, reading it to himself. Joohyun knocked Junmyeon’s hand from her screen when he tried to trace the words with his finger. “But do add a note that maybe a few less sentences are needed here, you know…it kind of drags into—”

“Don’t tell me how to do my job,” Joohyun said, looking up from the screen to exchange a look with Sehun. Sehun ducked his head down to hide the laugh that threatened to escape his mouth.

Junmyeon finally quieted and scanned the rest of the article before tilting his head and jabbing at the screen, earning a sharp inhale from Joohyun. 

“How come my name isn’t mentioned even once?” he said.

“That’s up to the writer, not m—” Joohyun said, pressing fingers to her temple.

“Don’t write me out of this narrative,” he said, looking directly at her. Joohyun met his gaze and crossed her arms across her chest.

“I didn’t write this article,” she said after taking a deep breath. She paused to pick up her coffee mug and tightly held it between her hands. “But if I did, I wouldn’t have even—" 

“Alright!” Sehun said, clapping his hands together in a hurried attempt to disrupt the tension, “Well, it was lovely meeting you, but we really do have to get back to work.” 

“Oh, of course!” Junmyeon said with a wide smile, “Where are my manners! You’ve been working so hard, and I—”

“We really have to meet this deadline,” Sehun said, standing up and tugging Junmyeon towards the door before he could stay a second longer, “And you still haven’t met the other reporters yet. They’d be honored to meet you.”

Junmyeon let Sehun push him towards the door before stopping and pointing at some pictures by the wall.

“Who is _this_? She’s so pretty…You should introduce me to her,” Junmyeon said, pressing his finger on the glass.

“That’s my fucking wife,” Joohyun said, banging her mug down on the table a little too hard. 

“Oh that’s your wife? Then who’s this? I’d love to meet him, too! Just look at the way his lips curl up! How cute!” Junmyeon said, dragging his finger to the next frame. 

Sehun blinked.

“That’s my fucking boyfriend,” he said before shoving Junmyeon out the door, slamming it shut, and locking it behind him.

“If he runs for office, I’m never voting for him,” Joohyun emphatically said, “Are you all right? Who slaps someone like that after one meeting?”

“I’m okay,” Sehun said after taking his seat again, “I think that’s his way of being friendly.”

“He has a really strange way of showing it,” Joohyun shook her head before refocusing her attention on work. For the next half hour, Sehun finished a very rough draft of his next article before standing up to take a break. He yawned, stretching for a moment before pulling his phone out to call Jongdae. After a conversation that was much too brief, Sehun learned that Jongdae unfortunately could not make their lunch plans because crime never stopped and he had a new murder to process. Instead, Sehun holed himself up in the office with Joohyun, both ordering a warm pepperoni pizza that they split. 

Sehun couldn’t focus for the rest of the day, only able to worry over Jongdae who probably hadn’t had the chance to eat after the sudden crime. So after work, he went to Jongdae’s work building, braving the cold and the storm to surprise him with dinner.

“Sehun! What’s up,” Baekhyun, Jongdae’s fellow forensic scientist, said. He stood to affectionately tousle Sehun’s hair. 

“I brought dinner,” Sehun said, raising his take-out bags in the air.

“You angel,” Baekhyun grinned, reaching out to take the bags before moving them to a table in the back away from all the equipment.

At the sound of Sehun’s voice, Jongdae quickly turned away from his work to greet Sehun with a smile. The notes on his desk had little lightning bolts doodled in the margins and complex equations and diagrams that Sehun didn’t know. 

“You came?” Jongdae asked after pressing a kiss to Sehun’s cheek, “You didn’t have to. It’s still raining so hard, isn’t it?”

“Of course I had to,” Sehun said, clinging to Jongdae’s arm, “I missed you too much, and I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to eat with you again.”

“Are you guys done?” Baekhyun called from the back, “I’ll eat everything if you don’t hurry over.”

As they ate, Sehun learned that the murderer from earlier today was still at large. He had avoided the city, probably to avoid being caught on camera, and preferred to hide in residential areas. The police had attempted to contain public concern before it reached hysteria and mass panic, but what could they do if a killer could be roaming around anyone’s backyard and hiding in their gardening shed?

Jongdae and Baekhyun explained that this was probably the murderer’s first kill, his inexperience showing in the jaggedness of the stab wounds and the messiness of the scene left behind. And as if the state of the city could not get any worse, Captain Cold had been sighted visiting a new museum exhibit, one Jongdae made Sehun promise to stay away from for a while. After most of their pizza was gone, all talk of their work died, replaced by jokes Baekhyun made, by sweet smiles and loud laughter.

But suddenly it thundered, startling Sehun.

“Come here,” Jongdae said, opening his arms after noticing the way Sehun had quickly placed a hand over his chest. Not even a second had passed before Sehun sat down on Jongdae’s lap as Jongdae folded his arms around him. Sehun could have so easily fallen asleep like this, the comfort of Jongdae’s touch and his warmth causing his eyes to droop. He felt as if nothing could touch him when he was here in Jongdae’s arms.

“Any room for me?” Baekhyun said.

Before Sehun could mumble out an answer, Baekhyun managed to wriggle himself between them. Sehun adjusted his position to wrap an arm around Baekhyun. This was how the three of them cuddled since they were young anyways. Tangled limbs and all.

“Why is it raining so hard nowadays?” Baekhyun said, sliding his arm out before resting it across Sehun’s shoulder. “Maybe all the terrible sins and things are getting washed away from this city.” 

“Maybe it means something’s coming,” Jongdae said.

“Rainbows come after storms. It must mean good times,” Sehun said. He didn’t know whose shoulder he was resting his cheek on, but it was warm.

“Or it could mean something worse,” Jongdae said. 

“Something good,” Sehun insisted, tightening his grip on whoever’s arm he was clinging onto, “Something good will always come no matter how dark it might seem.”

 

 

ϟ 

 

 

“Hello!” Sehun said, stepping inside the store, “Oh, you’re alone today?”

“Not much business in this weather,” the clerk said, looking up from his book. He took his glasses off and set them on the counter.

“So it’s good I came, right?” Sehun said, setting his umbrella by the door before browsing around the store.

“Well, you haven’t bought anything all this time, and I doubt you’re buying anything today, so…” the clerk said, moving his book behind the counter.

“Can I see this one?” Sehun asked, pointing at the display. The clerk walked over until he stood in front of Sehun.

“This one?” the clerk said.

“Yes,” Sehun said, “I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

“We haven’t received any new products,” the clerk said, “so I’m surprised you haven’t seen this because you’ve been here for months and months. Are you really ever going to buy something from me?”

“Yeah,” Sehun said, watching as the clerk carefully pulled what he wanted to see and handed it to him, “Be patient.” 

He examined the product carefully for a while before returning it with a smile.

“Put this on hold for me,” Sehun said, “I’ll be back.”

 

 

ϟ

 

 

The next morning, Sehun begged Jongdae to stay in bed with him. The rain had worsened over the week, and all the different news stations continually reported that they had never seen a storm this violent, rain this heavy. It had been a miracle that nothing had flooded yet, and most importantly, that no casualties had been reported. But even if Jongdae managed to walk under his umbrella without getting too soaked, then what about the cars on the streets? If the drivers couldn’t see anything through their windows, foggy from the cold, blurry from the constant rain, then what if they ran him over?

But Jongdae, like always, was too dedicated to his job, and he couldn’t stay home even for one day.

“If crime doesn’t stop, then I shouldn’t either,” Jongdae said, pressing a kiss to Sehun’s cheek before grabbing an extra jacket, “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

Sehun crossed his arms and pouted as he watched Jongdae go. He hated Jongdae’s job, hated how Jongdae always had to work, hated how the city’s criminals couldn’t rest for a single day to let Jongdae stay here with him. With a sigh, he flopped back into bed and pulled the covers around himself tighter, scooting over to lie in Jongdae’s spot. His side of the bed was still warm.

Just as Sehun was about to fall asleep again, his phone began to buzz, and after checking the caller id, Sehun picked up before the third ring even finished.

“Hello? Jongdae, are you changing your mind and going home?” he asked, sitting up quickly.

“No,” Jongdae said, sounding a little breathless, “I just called to tell you to stay inside.”

Jongdae took a pause to breathe heavily, causing Sehun to clutch his phone tighter and tighter.

“Are you okay? Jongdae?” Sehun asked, throwing back the covers of his bed, prepared to run in the rain, pajamas and all, if Jongdae was in trouble.

“Yeah, I’m fine it’s just…” Jongdae said, trailing off with a sigh before continuing to speak, “Captain Cold and her crew just hit up that museum only seconds ago. They escaped with whatever they wanted, and she could be anywhere in the city by now. It’s dangerous, and I don’t want you to get hurt, so work from home if you can.”

“But what about you?” Sehun said, shivering when he placed his feet on the cold floor, “Can’t you stop playing hero for once? There are other forensic scientists on the police force. Not just you…I just want you safe. Come home, Jongdae.”

“Don’t worry,” Jongdae said. Sehun could hear sirens blaring and crackling through the phone and took a deep breath. “There’s not much trouble a forensic scientist like me can get into. I only look at the damage, what’s left behind, all the evidence, remember?”

“Yeah,” Sehun said.

But then he remembered all the times Jongdae had confronted muggers that had the misfortune of crossing paths with him, single-handedly attempted to stop a few drunken men from harassing ladies outside a club, was the first one to respond to any police reports even though he only worked in forensics. And worried. 

“I think this weather’s given criminals the chance to strike more often since everyone’s inside and staying home from work,” Jongdae sighed, “hopefully things will be better when the rain clears up.”

“Come home safely,” Sehun said, “Please.” 

“Always,” Jongdae said, “I’ll come back to you always.”

Sehun let out another sigh, said good-bye, and hung up. The apartment seemed colder, emptier without Jongdae to fill it with his smiles and his laughter. Sehun was used to Jongdae’s occasional, early departures since there was nothing Jongdae had wanted more than to become a forensic scientist and help drag criminals to jail. But it didn’t mean it was any easier to let him go every day.

Without anything else to do, Sehun turned on the radio as he made breakfast.

“It has been advised to all citizens of Central City to stay indoors today,” the news reporter said, “The rain has increased in intensity, foggy conditions make it hard to see clearly while driving, and there is an increased threat of lightning. This is the worst storm Central City has seen in nearly fifty years. Stay warm and stay safe.”

After calling in his absence from work, Sehun spent the whole morning unable to write anything. All he could do was stare outside the window, listen to the heavy rain and occasional thunder, and worry. What if he caught a cold after this? What if Jongdae was examining a crime scene in the open, braving the winds and the storm with nothing but his jacket? What if a driver couldn’t see and accidentally swerved into Jongdae as he crossed a street? What if the lightning struck Jongdae?

Sehun knew he wouldn’t be able to make any significant progress on his articles, so he gave up, left his blank document open, and paced around for hours. After a while, he called Joohyun to distract himself, but Joohyun was no help and panicked with him.

“Seulgi was supposed to be flying back today,” Joohyun said, “But what about this storm?”

“Shouldn’t she have known to delay the flight?” Sehun asked, catching the little tremor in her voice.

“I hoped so,” Joohyun said, “But she’s not picking up her phone.”

Usually talking to Joohyun would make Sehun feel more composed, but after too many minutes spent trading similar worries, Sehun was just about ready to run right into the storm to find Jongdae. He looked outside of his window, finding that there was nothing more than thick fog and howling winds, the sun was nowhere to be found.

“I wish I could go to her,” Joohyun said, “but I’m stuck here. I don’t even know if she’s in the sky or not.”

“You know what,” Sehun said, thinking enough was enough, “I’m going to Jongdae.”

And that was that.

He’d feel better when Jongdae was by his side. If he could see that Jongdae was fine with his own two eyes, then he wouldn’t even care if thunder struck inches away from him.

Sehun threw on a sweater and a jacket before finding his umbrella and running out the door. It seemed more people had listened to the news and stayed inside, as most of the normally crowded streets were all empty, save for some cars and yellow taxis that drove slowly, not daring to speed anything above a little crawl. Sehun squinted in the distance, and through the fog, the streetlights looked nothing more than muted Christmas lights.

The umbrella shielded him from most of the rain, but it could not save him from the cold blasts of wind that caused his shoulders to shiver and his teeth to chatter. He exhaled, puffing into his hands to try and stay warm, but it didn’t help much. Suddenly, lightning struck, and Sehun froze in his tracks, staring at the bright beam of light that tore up the sky in the direction of Jongdae’s work building. He stared a moment longer before a loud honk jolted him out of his thoughts and forced him to remember to dash onto the sidewalk.

Sehun sprinted in the direction of Jongdae’s building, keeping his eyes on the horizon and only occasionally checking to make sure he couldn’t see any faint shadows of cars that might run him over. The streets were flooded, and every time Sehun dashed off the sidewalk and onto the lower asphalt when he crossed streets, his shoes sloshed into the deep puddles. Within minutes, his feet and his calves were soaked. When lightning struck again, Sehun, startled, almost lost his balance, but continued onwards.

Jongdae was the one who loved lightning, who had always loved lightning since he was eleven. He doodled lightning into the margins of his papers, into Sehun’s skin, and loved adding yellow thunderbolts to the texts he sent Sehun. Sehun had come to associate Jongdae with thunder in order to be less afraid of the wild phenomenon, but he still shook when he heard the loud crack.

It was dangerous to be outside in this weather, with the sky rapidly darkening to match the inky clouds, but Sehun would brave anything, risk anything, do anything for Jongdae, so there he was, running like his life depended on it while repeating a single word, a single name over and over and over again to keep him grounded. 

 _Jongdae, Jongdae, Jongdae…_  

It was a pity Sehun couldn’t just snap his fingers and instantly reach him in a second.

Sehun finally slowed down, took a deep, ragged breath when he reached Jongdae’s building. Water dripped off of his body and his umbrella as he caught his breath, and he remembered to shake his umbrella outside to dispel the last bits of the water before he trudged inside, his wet sneakers squeaking in the hallway.

After riding the elevator up to the top floor and walking down the hallway towards Jongdae’s lab, Sehun saw a middle-aged man shifting his bag over his shoulder with one hand, holding his carved cane with the other.

“Hello, Dr. Lee,” Sehun said, leaning on the wall to catch his breath again, “You’re going home already?”

“Hello, Sehun,” Dr. Lee said with a small smile, glancing at the way water dripped off of Sehun’s’ body and pooled onto the clean floors, “Yes I am. Jongdae and Baekhyun kindly offered to stay later since the evidence is almost done processing. I’ll see you around.”

Sehun nodded before stumbling onwards and reaching the door to Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s lab.

“First of all,” Sehun said as he opened the door with a slam before resting his hands on his knees, bending over to catch his breath again, “What type of a boss goes home before everyone else? In the middle of the fucking day?” 

“Sehun?” Jongdae called from his work station, causing Sehun to snap his head up to look at him, “Oh my god, why are you here? You’re all wet...”

Jongdae quickly stood up, causing his chair to topple over from the force as he ran over to Sehun.

“I was worried,” Sehun said, letting Jongdae peel off the jacket and sweater from his drenched body, “What if you were hit by a car while you were walking on the street? What if you couldn’t see anything? What if you drowned in this rain?”

“Thank you for caring about me, too, Sehun,” Baekhyun smiled, leaning back into his chair as he watched them.

“Of course I worried about you, too, Baekhyun,” Sehun said, feeling suddenly and overwhelmingly _cold._

“Here,” Baekhyun laughed, balling up a blanket that had been resting on his lap and tossing it in their direction, “Don’t freeze. If you get sick, then how are we supposed to go to that concert next weekend?”

Jongdae caught the blanket and wrapped it over Sehun’s body, patting him down and drying him.

“He’s right,” Jongdae said, reaching over to hug Sehun. Sehun shivered, leaning into Jongdae’s warmth and taking advantage of his body heat. “What if you caught a cold? What if you were the one hit by a car? You should’ve stayed at home, Sehun. I would’ve come back to you safely.”

“I would’ve dragged him back in one piece for you,” Baekhyun called out, throwing Jongdae another blanket.

Jongdae placed this blanket over Sehun’s head and gently rubbed it until his hair was drier. Then he grabbed the ends of the blanket to gently pull Sehun closer to him.

“Besides,” Jongdae smiled, “Me? Struck by lightning? When have I ever been afraid of that?”

“You never know,” Sehun grumbled, feeling his face heat up as he studied the way the ends of Jongdae’s lips curled up more.

“Well, aren’t the odds of being struck by lightning one in three thousand during an average person’s life?” Baekhyun said, pulling a shirt out of his bag and trotting over to Sehun. He clucked his tongue at the puddle of water on the floor before pushing the shirt over Sehun’s head and helping him through it. Sehun was lucky both Jongdae and Baekhyun liked wearing oversized shirts. “You running around won’t help your chances, Sehun.”

“What did you do today anyways?” Sehun asked, “What did they drag you out in the rain for?”

“We’re processing evidence for Captain Cold’s attack. Two security guards didn’t make it today,” Baekhyun said.

“But Dr. Lee went home early. Shouldn’t you, too?” Sehun said, “How is that fair?”

“It’s okay,” Jongdae said, sitting back down in his chair, “He’s getting old, so we offered to stay and finish.”

“Speak for yourself, Jongdae,” Baekhyun said, plopping down on the couch in the back of the room as he took Sehun’s wet clothes and laid them out to dry on the table, “I would’ve ditched him to go home early, but you had to open your mouth.”

“If you want, you can just sit around,” Jongdae said, looking back at his notes, “We’re almost done here anyways, and you worked hard.”

“Well if you say so. You’re the one that works too hard, Jongdae,” Baekhyun grinned, sinking deeper into the couch, “but I’m not complaining. Come here, Sehun. I’ll continue drying your hair.”

Baekhyun patted his lap, and Sehun complied and sat on the couch before leaning over to rest his head in Baekhyun’s lap. Baekhyun hummed a soft tune as he continued to rub Sehun’s hair with the blanket. Sehun began to feel sleepy as he watched Jongdae continue to work. His eyes fluttered, but he wanted to stay awake for Jongdae. He marveled at how beautiful Jongdae looked when he was only scribbling notes into his notepad, inputting data on his computer, doing other science stuff he didn’t understand.

“What do you want to do tomorrow? It’s our day off,” Baekhyun said.

“Nothing and anything at all,” Jongdae said, “I personally want to stay in bed and sleep for a thousand hours.”

“Yeah that sounds nice, too,” Baekhyun said. He finished drying Sehun’s hair but kept his hands on Sehun’s head.

“If the rain stops, then how about a movie after sleeping the whole day away? We can get dinner before or after,” Sehun said. He knew that if he left Jongdae and Baekhyun alone, they’d never leave their rooms, never even consider going outside.

“That sounds wonderful,” Jongdae said, looking up from his work with a bright smile.

“I’ll invite Joohyun,” Sehun said, “If Seulgi’s back, then she can come, too.”

Within seconds, Baekhyun and Jongdae fell back into work related chatter again, talking about the evidence from today’s case, discussing if a recent murderer would strike again, and complaining about how they wished fingerprints would take less time to process and how it was too bad they only had a partial print from today’s crime scene.

And once again, Sehun felt his eyelids become heavier and heavier, and soon it was harder and harder to keep them open. The heat from the blankets, the comforting presence of his friends, and Baekhyun’s light touch soon made him drift off to sleep… to sleep…sleep…

But suddenly, a loud crack of lightning caused Sehun’s eyes to fly open, and he jolted awake as his heart stammered to life.

“Are you alright?” Baekhyun asked, placing a hand on Sehun’s shoulder, “Did that really scare you?”

Jongdae glanced at Sehun and sighed.

“I’m so sorry, Sehun. I promise I’m almost done, so we can all go home soon,” Jongdae said.

Sehun balled his hands into the blanket and nodded. But the thunder didn’t stop, booming every now and then. Sehun started counting the seconds between the light and the sound, and it was all too close. Feeling his heart race, he looked up at the glass ceiling, and worried that the lightning would somehow strike it since the lab was located at the very top of this tall building. What type of a fool thought having a glass ceiling in a lab would be a good idea anyways?

Sehun sat up, pushing himself off of Baekhyun’s lap and pulling the blanket away from his head as lightning struck again. Jongdae stood up to place sealed beakers away on the shelf, grabbing the edge of the structure to steady himself. He seemed unbothered, but when had he ever been afraid of lightning, of thunder?

Sehun watched him with his heart beating wildly, and in this moment, he thought of all the things that could easily go wrong. The lightning could strike the windows, the chemicals could crash to the floor, Baekhyun could get hurt, Jongdae could get hurt…Baekhyun had mentioned the slim probability of getting struck by lightning, but what was the probability of both him and Jongdae dying tonight? To love was to care, and to care was to worry, and Sehun could not. Stop. Worrying.

Lightning struck again, this time so much closer, as it plunged the room in a brilliant light, causing Sehun to shakily stand up, the blankets falling from his lap. He clenched his fists, trying to stay calm, certain that the light was illuminating his barely suppressed panic. With his heart pounding against his chest, Sehun watched Jongdae continue to calmly put away the rest of the chemicals back on the shelf. Right under the ceiling.

In this moment, Sehun instinctively ran across the room with his breath trapped in his throat to push Jongdae out of the way right as a blinding light shattered the ceiling and caused the glass to rain down upon him. There were no thoughts on Sehun’s mind. Only the desire to protect. There was no fear in his heart even as he lay on the floor, unable to feel how badly some of the glass had cut him. Just love.

He heard a scream for a second before the dissonant roar of thunder drowned it out, vaguely saw the cabinet of chemicals come crashing down upon him, but the last thing he consciously remembered was breathing in relief that he had at least managed to push Jongdae away to safety.

Before a second bolt of lightning struck.

 

 

ϟ

 

 

“Hello,” the clerk said, looking up from his book as the bells on the front door of his store chimed, “What are you looking for today?”

“Oh just a little something,” the customer said, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor as she stepped inside.

“Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be right here,” the clerk said, turning back to his book. He closed his eyes and stuck his face in front of the fan, hoping this week’s heat wave would pass soon. The customer took her time, browsing around the store for a while until she tapped an acrylic nail on the glass in front of the clerk.

“Can I look at this one please?” the customer asked, pointing at a product.

“Yes,” the clerk said, pulling it out to show the customer. She examined it for a second before pointing at another.

“What about this one?” she asked.

“Sorry, that one’s on hold,” the clerk said.

“Oh? For how long? Are you actually going to sell it?” the customer said, adjusting the grip on her designer bag.

The clerk shifted in place, tossing his keys from one hand to the other.

“I don’t know. The person who placed it on hold hasn’t come here in months. I wonder what’s happened to him,” the clerk said.

“Well, you know,” the customer said, flipping her hair back as she bent down to peer at it closer, “Some people change their minds. Some people move on.”

“He told me to be patient,” the clerk said, frowning at the fingerprints the woman left on the glass.

“It’s been months since the last time he’s been here, right?” the customer said, straightening up, “If he doesn’t come back in a week, let me buy it.”

The clerk crossed his arms and pressed his lips together, hesitating for a moment before he nodded once. Business was business after all.

 

 

ϟ

 

 

It was always a blessing to wake up next to Jongdae in the morning.

Jongdae rustling the sheets as he carefully tried to climb out of bed without shaking the mattress. Jongdae trying his best to step across the floor without making the boards creak. Jongdae trying but failing to leave for work without a good morning hello, a good-bye kiss. And on days Jongdae didn’t have work, it was like a dream to wake up to Jongdae pressing himself closer, Jongdae draping himself over him, sometimes sleeping half on top of him, other times spooning him from the back.

This morning, Sehun opened his eyes to the faint sound of Jongdae quietly humming a song he loved. But Jongdae rarely hummed. Why would he when he could sing, sing as loudly as he could until Baekhyun joined him with an equally loud harmony, until Sehun would let out a sigh as he listened to the beautiful music, and until the landlord angrily pounded on their door demanding them to stop. It was with this question on his mind that teased and pulled Sehun out of a deep slumber as he slowly shifted in the sheets.

After what felt like years and years, he slowly opened his eyes and blinked. He heard a grasp, a frantic _oh my god_ , and when he was able to keep his eyes open for more than half a second, he finally woke up to find Jongdae hovering over him with his hands pressed against his mouth, his eyebrows knitted upwards.

“Jongdae?” Sehun groggily murmured. Really, Jongdae was always the first on his mind in the morning and the last before he fell asleep. The only person Sehun had the capacity to think of in such early hours of the day.

“ _Sehun_ ,” Jongdae said, falling on top of Sehun as he pressed his face in Sehun’s neck. Soon, his shoulders began to shake.

“Why…are you crying?” Sehun asked, trying to slide his arm over Jongdae’s back before he found wires and odd contraptions hooked up to his finger and arm. What?

“Oh, I’m so glad,” Baekhyun said, suddenly appearing by Sehun’s side, “You had us so worried.”

Baekhyun ran a hand through his already disheveled hair and smiled. He had always valued sleep over work, so Sehun didn’t know why Baekhyun had such dark circles underneath his eyes. 

“What?” Sehun asked, “What…happened?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Baekhyun said, pulling up a chair to sit by Sehun’s side. Sehun looked around for a moment. He was in his apartment. Nothing really changed, but as he looked down, he couldn’t remember this bed. When had they bought a new one? What was that steady beeping noise?

Sehun tried to piece together fragments and scattered moments from his memory. There was the storm, worse than ever. The rain, drumming so hard on the building that Sehun had been afraid the roof would cave in at any second. The dark clouds. The glass ceiling. The shattered glass ceiling. Pushing Jongdae out of the way. Light, so much light. A thunderous roar.

“The lightning,” Sehun said, feeling more awake, “I remember the lightning." 

“You were struck by lightning,” Jongdae said, finally straightening up, his face twisted as he struggled to speak through tears. He grabbed Sehun’s hand and held it tightly with both hands, “Don’t you remember? You pushed me out of the way before the ceiling crashed down and the chemicals toppled over. And before the lightning hit you." 

“I…see,” Sehun said, looking to his left, finding a monitor reporting his heartbeat. He stared for a little longer as Baekhyun chuckled.

“That’s the only thing you can say after being out cold?” Baekhyun said, poking Sehun’s arm, “You were in a coma, bro.”

“A coma?” Sehun said, his gaze flickering back to Baekhyun’s face, then to Jongdae’s. But his heart couldn’t bear to see Jongdae looking like that, so he turned back to Baekhyun, hoping he was joking. Baekhyun inclined his head, nodded once, and Sehun felt the blood drain from his face. “No…How long was I out?”

Jongdae roughly wiped the tears from his cheek and took a deep breath. Sehun wondered when had Jongdae found the time to dye his hair back to black. That was odd. Was he planning to give his hair a break before he bleached it again?

“Nine months,” Jongdae hoarsely said, “You were unconscious for nine months.”

“ _What?_ ” Sehun asked, struggling to sit up. As Jongdae and Baekhyun helped him up, Sehun stared at them, hoping that this was a joke, that this was an elaborate prank. “That can’t be right. No…Nine months?”

“It’s a miracle you’re even here,” Baekhyun shook his head, “Everything happened so fast. One moment you were next to me, and in a blink of an eye, there you were on the floor, chemicals smashed around you, glass everywhere, blood pouring out of your body, the lightning gone after it hit you. I thought you were dead.”

“I…was away from you for that long? I’m so sorry,” Sehun said, feeling a lump rise in his throat. It hurt to speak, but Sehun needed to say this. He couldn’t hide the words since he had been silent for so long. “I didn’t mean to slip in a coma. That lightning bolt felt like yesterday.”

Jongdae quickly shook his head and touched the side of Sehun’s face with one hand.

“It’s not your fault,” Jongdae said, unable to look away, “Don’t think that. It should’ve been me that was struck by thunder, but you were the one that pushed me out of the way. You saved me, Sehun.”

“Don’t ever slip into another coma again, all right?” Baekhyun said, pointing a finger at him, “Everyone was so worried.”

Sehun nodded and took a deep breath. He looked down at his hands, turning them over before checking his arms, his legs. But there was nothing. No cuts. No bruises. No wounds. The lightning had not left a single scar to remind Sehun of what it had done to him.

“I’ll get you some water,” Baekhyun said, “I’m sure you must be thirsty.”

He stood up suddenly, bumping the little table they had placed beside Sehun’s bed, knocking over a small vase of red roses. Sehun blinked, wondered why the roses were falling so slowly, and quickly reached over to steady it before they could crash to the floor.

But when he straightened back up again, he didn’t feel _right_. The sudden movement must have triggered something, and when Sehun looked down, he found his hands vibrating so fast they looked like a blur. Sehun gave himself about two seconds before he started breathing in and out, in and out, in and out faster and faster until he was sure the rest of his body looked like how his hands looked.

“Whatshappeningtome?” Sehun said, his words blurring together. Everything felt so fast, and he didn’t know why Baekhyun and Jongdae were reacting slowly. He watched their jaws drop open sluggishly, as if they were moving in slow motion.

“Oh…my…god,” Baekhyun said, taking forever to put his hands over his head.

Sehun’s breath hitched in his throat, and he felt his pulse pounding through his chest at a speed that should not have been possible. Jongdae grabbed at Sehun’s shoulder, or at least tried to, as his hand slipped right through the air as if Sehun was disappearing right before his eyes.

“Sehun, you’re going to be fine. Look at me. Look at me… _Look_ at me,” Jongdae ordered, looking at Sehun with wide eyes. He kept his hands stretched out, but every time he tried to touch Sehun, his hands felt nothing.

That was easy. This was Jongdae. Jongdae. Sehun could look away from his blurring body and focus on Jongdae without any problems. He could do this. This.

“Breathe…Breathe slowly. Can you do that for me?” Jongdae said, trying to seem as soothing as possible. But a slight tremor cracked his voice at the last second.  

“Jongdaeeverythingssofast,” Sehun said, rising out of bed in alarm when he grabbed at the pillow on his lap and couldn’t pick it up at all, “Whatswrongwithme?”

“Breathe, Sehun,” Jongdae urged, letting out a sharp exhale of his own as he tried but failed to touch Sehun again, “Just calm down.”

Sehun tried again and again and again, but it was no use. He couldn’t understand what was happening, why everything seemed so fast, why he was moving this quickly while the others were so still. If anything, his pulse seemed to race faster and faster, and he didn’t know how his heart had not exploded now from all this…this mess of emotions. Maybe his mind had missed feeling alive for the past nine months that it triggered some catastrophe to force Sehun to make up for all the mindful breathing, all the fear he had been spared from while in the coma. He was feeling this, all of this, and it was too _much_.

“Jongdae, we need something better than breathing since it’s clearly not working,” Baekhyun said, reaching out to grab Sehun but failing again.

“Okay, okay,” Jongdae said, pressing his hands to his cheeks before taking a shuddering breath. He froze for what felt like an eternity to Sehun before he scooted closer to him. 

“Sehun,” Jongdae said, staring at him intently, “Do you remember what type of flowers you gave me on our last anniversary?” 

“Rosesthatwereredlikethose,” Sehun said, quickly moving his hand to point at the roses beside him. He found his arm looking like a blur again. “Yougavemeirises.”

“Yes…keep looking at me,” Jongdae said, causing Sehun to snap his head back, “Don’t look at anything else and ignore what’s happening.” 

“Jongdae, do you even have any idea if this is going to work?” Baekhyun leaned closer as he harshly whispered. 

“No,” Jongdae said without taking his eyes off of Sehun, “of course not. But we just need to calm him down right now, Baekhyun. And then we can worry about… _this_ …whatever the fuck this is.”

Baekhyun pressed a hand over his mouth and nodded, gesturing at Jongdae to continue with his other hand.

“Do you remember why I like to buy large sweatshirts?” Jongdae said, “even though I’d probably fit in a small?”

“Sowecanbothwearthesameclothes,” Sehun said, “andbecause…youlookthecutestinthem.”

“Yeah,” Jongdae said, the ends of his lips curling upwards. Sehun took a deep breath. He didn’t want to check, but he still felt like he was moving so fast he could disappear any second. “Do you remember that time you tried to bake a cake for Baekhyun’s birthday?”

“Yeah,” Sehun nodded, “Itried…mybest…butwehadtobuyitfrom…thestore.”

“Hey, it’s the thought that counts,” Baekhyun said, crossing his arms over his chest as he smiled, “I was flattered you tried.” 

“What do you want to have for dinner today?” Jongdae tried again.

“Pizza,” Sehun said, taking a deep, shuddering breath. He couldn’t believe he went nine months without pizza.

“What do you want to do this weekend?” Jongdae asked.           

“Not…sleep,” Sehun said. He probably had enough of that to last a while.

“What are you going to look forward to now?” Jongdae asked, “Now that you’re back?” He reached his hands out and hovered them around Sehun’s face, not daring to touch Sehun yet. 

Sehun always wanted to stretch out every second with Jongdae to make all the minutes last years, to make the hours seem like eternities. So he breathed and slowed down because he had always slowed down for Jongdae. 

“Everything,” Sehun said. It didn’t feel like he had lost nine months of his life since the time between the last moment he remembered and now felt like a second. But every day at every moment, he missed everything anyways. He missed Joohyun after he came home from a long day’s of work. He missed Baekhyun when he had to go back to his own apartment. He missed Jongdae when they were apart during the day even though they always saw each other. He missed so much and he wanted everything every single day.

“Like what?” Jongdae asked.

Sehun took a moment to think, a moment that finally did feel like a second and not a year.

“I’m not going to look forward to you waking up early to leave in the morning,” Sehun said, frowning for a second and not a second more, “but I’ll look forward to more mornings when you’ll wake me up with a kiss, more coffee from Soojung, more interviews with some sweet citizens, more work hours with Joohyun, more lazy weekends with Baekhyun. I’m looking forward to the rest of my life like this. With you, with everyone. I love it all.”

Jongdae smiled, and Sehun finally felt Jongdae touch his cheeks. He looked down, and to his relief, his hands were solid again, the same again. 

“What was that?” Sehun asked, examining his hands as Jongdae slid his own hands down to grasp Sehun’s shoulders, “What just happened to me?”

“We’re obviously going to run some tests,” Baekhyun said, patting his shoulder as if to check for himself that Sehun really was normal again, “but from a first diagnosis, I’m pretty sure that lightning fucked up your cells, my guy.”

“Wow,” Sehun blinked, “Really. I would have never guessed.”

Baekhyun laughed before stepping towards the kitchen, grabbing a cup to fetch Sehun water.

“But that shouldn’t be possible. Right?” Sehun said, taking a sip of water after Baekhyun returned and handed a glass to him.

Jongdae and Baekhyun exchanged a look before Jongdae dropped his gaze, staring at the white sheets. Baekhyun pressed his lips together and sat on the edge of the bed before he spoke.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said, taking one of Sehun’s hands in his. “It was a miracle you hadn’t died onsite after the lightning struck you, but at the hospital…You kept going into cardiac arrest, sometimes a five times a day. The hospital wanted to declare you dead, but we knew that wasn’t right because your heart kept stabilizing by itself even without medical attention. So we brought you back here and monitored you. If your heart wasn’t stopping, then we thought it was moving too fast for our monitors to read.”

“You’re telling me I’m super fast,” Sehun said, casually choosing to ignore the part about multiple cardiac arrests.

“If Metropolis has someone flying around in spandex, then you having super speed isn’t… _that_ much of a stretch. Right?” Baekhyun said.

Sehun slid off the bed, cautiously putting one foot down on the floor. Then the other. Sehun steadied himself before he suddenly sprinted, whizzing around the room three times, all the chairs, the couches, the TV, the walls looking like a single blur, before skidding to a stop next to the bed. He sent the papers around the living room table flying and a strong wind blowing Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s hair back.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Baekhyun yelled before letting out a delighted laugh, hands flying to grab his hair, “Did you just fucking see yourself move?”

“Hey, hey,” Jongdae said, staring at Sehun with wide eyes, “take it easy. You just woke up. How are you feeling?”

“Alive,” Sehun said, breathing deeply. Then reality finally struck, and he let out a laugh before sprinting around the apartment again. In a single second, he tidied up the few messes around the room before jumping onto the bed, sending the its wheels scooting across the floor. Jongdae reached out to stop the bed before it could roll completely away.

“How fast do you think you can go?” Baekhyun said, suddenly pacing back and forth, “Maybe like…five hundred miles an hour? Oh my god…what if you can go faster than sound?”

“Baekhyun, he just woke up,” Jongdae said, “We’ll figure this out later. Let’s let him rest now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Baekhyun said before walking over to tousle Sehun’s hair, “It’s good to have you back. If you need me, I’ll be next door.”

“You moved to our building?” Sehun asked. He couldn’t even sit still now and restlessly shook his leg. 

“I moved across the hall to take care of you while you were knocked out. It was easier that way,” Baekhyun said, pausing for a second before adding, “and to make sure Jongdae didn’t forget to eat or drink water or sleep. You know how he can be.”

“Thank you,” Sehun said, reaching out to hug Baekhyun tightly, “You’re the best.”

“That’s what you think,” Baekhyun said, the edges of his lips rising for just a moment before he grabbed his jacket off of the couch and left.

After the door shut, Sehun stood up, running circles and circles around the room again and again, electricity crackling from under his feet. As he was running so quickly, everything else seemed…so…slow. The birds outside lethargically flapped their wings, the water took ages to drip from the leaky faucet. Jongdae seemed like a statue as he stared at Sehun, taking forever to blink.

“Sehun,” Jongdae called out, causing Sehun to zoom straight back and sit beside him, the momentum causing the bed to skid across the floor again. 

“Yes?” Sehun smiled. When he saw how Jongdae couldn’t match his smile, his lips drooped. Dropped.

“When you were still in the hospital,” Jongdae said, looking at Sehun as if this would be the last time, as if he couldn’t believe Sehun was really awake, was really with him right here, right now. “Before we took you home because they wanted to declare you dead again, I watched your heart stop so many times. Eventually, the doctors were reluctant to even bring the defibrillators out because your heart monitor kept flatlining. We were lucky your heart seemed to stabilize after a while.”

“I’m sorry,” Sehun said, putting his hand over Jongdae’s, “I really am.”

He paused, tried to think of a life with Jongdae here but not here, Jongdae’s heart stopping when it should have been pounding, bursting with life and love. And couldn’t. He really couldn’t imagine how Jongdae must have survived for those past months. Nine. Past nine months. To Sehun, it felt like they had only spent hours apart while he slept. To Jongdae, it must have felt like eternity.           

“It’s really not your fault, but I…I was so worried that you were gone, taken from me,” Jongdae shook his head. His voice had dropped, sounding slightly louder than a whisper. “It would’ve been so easy to give up hope, but you’re my life, Sehun. You’re my everything, you know that? Every time your heart stopped on the monitor, it felt like mine had stopped, too.”

“I came back, right?” Sehun said, leaning forwards to pull Jongdae into his arms as he felt something rise in his throat and strangle him, “I’m still alive, right?”

“I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” Jongdae said, his arms tightly clinging to Sehun as he hid his face in the crook of Sehun’s neck, “What if you died that night? What if I let the doctors mark you as dead and cart your body away to the mortuary? What if I had to live the rest of my life without you?”

“But I didn’t die,” Sehun said, rubbing Jongdae’s back, “But I’m still here. So don’t worry, all right? I’m here to stay, and I’ll always come back to you, just like you’ll always come back to me.”

Jongdae sighed, pressing himself closer to Sehun’s body for another moment before pulling back to kiss him. Sehun smiled into the kiss, wondering how his unconscious self even survived without kissing Jongdae, without hugging Jongdae, without Jongdae at all. Outside their apartment, not a single cloud dared to even appear on the dazzling blue skyline today.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

On Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s orders, Sehun rested in bed for the next couple of days. It wasn’t as if he could go back to work anyways, as Qian banned him from the office until he rested for at least another week. Jongdae stayed with him as long as he could, but of course with a job like his, it wasn’t as long as either of them wanted.

“Don’t you have work?” Sehun asked on one of these mornings, “Crime scenes to analyze?”

“That can wait,” Jongdae said, not even moving to check his phone. He kept his eyes closed, his hand draped over Sehun’s chest. “I want to take my time with you. Nine months with you unconscious was too long.” 

Sehun had no complaints and happily stayed in bed with Jongdae as long as he could. They spent the morning lazily drifting in and out of sleep, murmuring hushed conversations that ended sometimes in laughter, sometimes with a kiss, but always filling Sehun’s heart with bliss. But these moments were cut far too short, as in the afternoon, Baekhyun burst through their front doors, attempting to drag Jongdae away to work.

“Get up. We have a murder to process,” Baekhyun announced after asking how Sehun was doing.

“We’re not the only forensic scientists out there,” Jongdae said, refusing to get out of bed, nestling himself closer to Sehun. Baekhyun gave Sehun a look, as if to ask him for help, but Sehun shrugged and pulled Jongdae closer. As if he’d give Jongdae up and let him go.

“Dr. Lee said you have to come,” Baekhyun tried a different angle.

“Fuck Dr. Lee,” Jongdae said. Sehun laughed. Jongdae had wanted to study at Central City University just to learn forensic science from Dr. Lee, one of the most respected forensic scientists in the country, had requested to intern with him until he snagged a job in his division, had often wondered out loud how lucky he was to work with him. And now this.

“I’ll tell him you said that,” Baekhyun said.

“No, wait,” Jongdae groaned, shifting from under the sheets, “I’ll go. But I’m coming home early.”

“You know I’m all for short work days, but would he let you?” Baekhyun asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“It’s a family emergency,” Jongdae said, finally sitting up straight, “He’ll have to let me go.” 

Sehun sat up, hugging a pillow to his chest, smiling as he watched Baekhyun and Jongdae argue back and forth. To think he had missed nine months of this. Nine months of life.

“I’m sorry I have to go,” Jongdae sighed, turning to kiss Sehun good-bye, “But I’ll be back before you can even blink.”

Sehun memorized how Jongdae looked this afternoon, gazing at Jongdae’s rumpled hair, his drooping eyelids that were threatening to close again any second, his perpetually curled lips, and sighed.

“Hurry back,” Sehun said. 

After the door closed and Sehun was alone, he threw back the covers and leapt out of bed. Baekhyun and Jongdae hadn’t found anything wrong with him after numerous blood tests and scans, so resting seemed optional, a suggestion he’d refuse to take. He had rested for nine months already, so there was no need for more sleep. Instead, he tested out his speed, finding that he could do the dishes in seconds, load the laundry in half a second, and realized in a quarter of a second there was nothing left to do at all.

With this much time on his hands, he sped read through some books, devouring all the latest bestsellers before looking up at the clock and finding that barely two minutes had passed. After there were no chores left to finish or any movies to watch, he would practice running in place as fast as he could in front of the mirror, startling himself when he tried to find his reflection and saw nothing but a blur. When he slowed down, he saw yellow bolts of electricity crackle around his feet, his body, and in his eyes.

But a few days spent inside were a few days too much, and Sehun was restless, wishing he could at least go to work, hating that he couldn’t even see Joohyun. He had called her after he had woken up, listening to three seconds of silence before she had burst into tears. She was on her anniversary vacation with Seulgi, and she had wanted to fly back immediately to see him before Sehun reassured her that he was fine, he was really completely fine, and that they’d meet again when she returned.

With this much energy, with this much desire to test out his powers, Sehun grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. He looked around to make sure no one was looking and that the cameras couldn’t catch him before he sprinted off, speeding through the hallways, tearing down the streets until he was freely running around Central City. It took him seconds to pass from one side of town to the other, and when he was outside like this, with the wind blowing through his hair, the sights blurring by him, Sehun tried to repress the biggest, most uncontrollable grin from spreading across his face. And failed.

He laughed as he zoomed through the city, occasionally catching blurry reflections of himself in the windows of department stores and restaurants for a split second before he was gone. And this late morning, because he could, he took off straight to Jongdae’s crime scene. Today’s body had been found in a wide, grassy field a mile away from the nearest freeway. There were no suspects yet, but with Jongdae and Baekhyun there and already processing the evidence, it would be wise for the murderer to flee now.

Sehun gazed across the field to find a team of people with dark jackets and yellow lettering that read CC FORENSICS on the back. He couldn’t see the body, but before he could look for Jongdae, he smelled something burning and looked around to find the source of the fire before he looked down and saw that it was…him. His clothes and the bottom of his shoes were on. Fire. Swearing under his breath, he stamped his feet before rolling around on the grass for a few moments until he gave up, laying breathlessly, staring up at the sky. The sun was bright and the sky was blue, as if the terrible storm that had torn apart the city nine months ago was only a distant dream.

Sehun laid in the grass for a while longer to catch his breath until a shadow loomed over him, hiding the sun from his sight.

“What are you doing here, Sehun?” Dr. Lee frowned, poking him with his cane. 

Sehun scrambled up, brushing himself off as he greeted Dr. Lee.

“I was waiting for Jongdae and Baekhyun to finish work,” Sehun said, hoping Dr. Lee wouldn’t ask why his clothes were slightly singed.

Dr. Lee glanced at him oddly, leaning on his cane.

“So you came…to a crime scene? Should you even be out of bed?” Dr. Lee said with a frown, “I heard you woke up recently, but you look…completely fine.”

“Well,” Sehun said, leaning on the tree beside him, trying to seem weaker than he felt and let out a small cough, “I took a taxi and crawled my way here. I just missed my friends, you know?”

“Sure,” Dr. Lee said, “Let them do their work, Sehun. They’ll be done in a few hours.”

But across the field, Jongdae looked up, his hair catching sunlight, and he squinted before elbowing Baekhyun and pointing wildly at Sehun. Within seconds, the two of them stripped off their gloves and sprinted over.

“Dr. Lee,” Jongdae said with a smile as soon as he saw Sehun, slightly winded from the sprinting, “I’m leaving work early. Now.” 

Dr. Lee glanced at him, furrowing his eyebrows.

“It’s a family emergency,” Jongdae said. When Dr. Lee remained silent, Jongdae pushed Baekhyun in front of him. “Baekhyun can validate me.” 

“I can confirm,” Baekhyun tried to say, nodding as seriously as he could, “because I have the same family emergency.” 

Dr. Lee put one hand over his hip and clutched his cane tightly with the other, shaking his head as he clucked his tongue. Sehun expected him to say no after seeing the frown that caused his wrinkles to deepen.

“Just this once,” Dr. Lee said instead with a sigh before a small smile spread across his face, “Only because—”

“We were done anyways,” Jongdae said, clapping his hands together, “the rest of the team will process it and send it back to the lab.” 

“I want you back in the lab early tomorrow,” Dr. Lee waved his finger at them before hobbling off back to the crime scene.

“How the fuck did you get here?” Baekhyun said as he tackled Sehun with a hug. 

“I…ran,” Sehun whispered, checking to see if Dr. Lee was far enough so he wouldn’t hear. He was unable to stop the grin from spreading across his face, “Like…I fucking ran over here in a second.”

“Oh my god,” Baekhyun said, bouncing on his toes, “you’re fucking _fast_.”

“Can you show us here in the open?” he asked Sehun, grabbing his shoulders. 

“No one should see,” Jongdae said, pulling them behind the large tree to block Sehun from the rest of the potential witnesses.

“It’s not like they’ll be able to see what’s happened,” Sehun said, peeking out of the tree to make sure no one was paying them any attention, “right? Don’t I just look like a blur? And if it only takes me a second to run anywhere and come back, then it’ll be like I never left.”

“Show us,” Baekhyun said, causing Jongdae to shush him for being too loud. 

“Watch this,” Sehun said with a grin, and off he sprinted, doing a lap around the city, absorbing all the sights, the sounds of the taxis honking, the people talking to each other, the sun on his face before he sprinted back, remembering to stamp out the fire and roll around.

“Okay, that can be fixed,” Baekhyun said, looking at the flames before snapping his gaze up, “I’ll fix that. But Sehun, oh my _god_. What was that…like only a second or two?”

Baekhyun looked at him with his jaw open, hands over his head before he finally jumped up and down and yelled in awe, sending some other people across the field turning their heads to look. But Jongdae? There was nothing special about the way Jongdae looked at Sehun because he always looked at Sehun like he was the most beautiful, the most amazing. Sehun recognized the hearts that were practically shooting out of Jongdae’s soft, fond gaze, and Jongdae shook his head as he smiled.

“You’re incredible, Sehun,” Jongdae smiled, “I…wow.” 

“I don’t know,” Sehun shrugged, “All I did was run.”

“ _Yeah_ ,” Baekhyun said before dropping his voice down after Jongdae threw him a look and pressed a finger to his lips, “at like…two hundred miles an hour. Maybe even faster oh my _god_.”

“Are you even winded? What was it like?” Baekhyun said, shaking Sehun’s shoulders.

“I don’t know,” Sehun admitted. It had seemed all too fast for him to remember. “Sometimes I notice the small details that I run past, and other times it’s just a blur. It really depends. Either I’m the fast one and the city’s stuck on the same second. Or the city’s the blur, and I’m out there racing with it.”

“I love the fastest man alive,” Jongdae said, his smile brightening.

Sehun’s cheeks reddened, and he didn’t know about being the fastest man alive, but he was definitely the luckiest man alive.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

Sehun thought it would take a long time for his body to recover. But no. His body seemed fine after everything, even in peak condition. All he had to adjust to was the speed. And time. It was like he was aware of everything all at once, not because of anything in particular, but because he had time to notice.

Sometimes it seemed like everything had paused, and he could see a cup about to fall before it did, a ball about to hit someone before it did, a person trip over the stairs before they did. The world’s second felt like minutes or more to him when he wasn’t careful and spent too much time absorbed in this speed.

At least now he had time for everything.

He could visit Jongdae in a second if he wanted whenever he wanted, and when it was time to come back to work, he was sure he’d never be late again. What would he do with all this time now? What would he do with the minutes he saved by zooming to work in a second?

He’d spend it all on Jongdae if he could, but too bad he couldn’t do Jongdae’s work for him. It was a pity he couldn’t even use it on writing. He could type faster than ever, but there were still times, like always, when he was still stuck staring at his screen when the words wouldn’t come to him.

So he spent it on the little moments. Taking the time to walk around the bustling city as slowly as he wanted. Taking the time to sit on the park bench, breathing in the fresh air and watching as the wind rustled the grass. Taking the time to tell Jongdae a few extra thousand times he loved him before a second could pass.

When Sehun was finally allowed to return to work, Jongdae wanted to walk him there to help him settle in. So naturally, he had no use for his speed and walked with Jongdae at an average human’s pace.

“How are you doing today, Sehun? Still getting back on your feet?” Soojung asked Sehun when it was his turn in line. After she had seen him for the first time in months, she had sworn she wasn’t crying, but Sehun saw the tears in her eyes as she leaned over the counter to hug him tightly before asking if he was the same, if he wanted the same coffee. Yes, of course.

Today, like all the other days, Soojung already knew what Sehun and Jongdae wanted, so she scribbled their names on the cups and inputted their order into the cash register before they could say anything more. “It’s good to see you again, Jongdae.”

“Good,” Sehun nodded as he handed Soojung his credit card, “Really, really good. How are you?”

“If you’re good, then I’m fine, too,” Soojung smiled. Sehun had never seen her grin, only that same, close-lipped smile. Small, but beautiful all the same. “Stay out of trouble. Work was lonely without you to brighten up my mornings." 

“Of course,” Sehun said before he noticed some bruises on Soojung’s forearm that she couldn’t quite completely cover up with her concealer, “You, too, alright?” 

“You know me,” Soojung said, the smile already faded from her face, “I hang in there. You’ll see me every morning unless I’m too sick to work. Or too contagious.”

Sehun was about to say something more before Soojung handed him back his credit card and his receipt.

“Take care of him, Jongdae,” she said, tapping a finger on the counter to the rhythm of the music blaring from the speakers, “he’s one of the few good people in this city.”

“Always,” Jongdae promised, “I’d take a bullet for him. All the bullets for him.”

Soojung nodded before she greeted the next customer, no hint of the previous smile to be found on her expression at all. Sehun stared at her for a second longer before he walked towards the other counter with Jongdae.

“I’m fast now,” Sehun said, lowering his voice, “I’ll outrun any bullets my way, so don’t talk like that, Jongdae.”

“But I would,” Jongdae said, watching another barista on the other side of the counter juggle grinding coffee beans, pouring some coffee in a cup, and working the espresso machine all by herself. She was fast, but Sehun was faster. “You can’t take anymore hits. One bolt of lightning is enough physical damage to last you through your lifetime.”

“I’m fine,” Sehun insisted, noticing the way Jongdae’s eyebrows had suddenly furrowed and his jaw had clenched, “really.”

The stormy expression that clouded Jongdae’s expression faded as he took a deep breath.

“Excited to go to work?” Jongdae said, offering Sehun a smile. Abruptly changing their conversation like that meant he still disagreed with Sehun but didn’t have the energy or the will to continue arguing.

“Yeah. I miss Joohyun,” Sehun nodded, accepting this compromise, “She’s coming back from vacation today.”

A second later, they left the coffee shop and any mentions of bullets and bolts of lightning behind. Sehun enjoyed the rest of their walk, sipping his coffee to make it last. Jongdae took the time to show everything in the city that Sehun had missed. A new restaurant that was opening soon, a movie Sehun needed to see with him. There was a concert next week Jongdae bought tickets for months ago when Sehun was still unconscious. He really must’ve believed Sehun would wake up one day even if the doctors refused to have the same faith.

As he walked, he focused on Jongdae instead of all these new buildings, his heart melting after seeing how Jongdae’s lips curled up into a bright smile, and how his expression relaxed. This was the Jongdae he wanted to see all the time even when the past threatened to tear the smile from Jongdae’s lips.

When they arrived at Sehun’s work building, Jongdae picked up a visitor badge at the front desk before they rode the elevator up to Sehun’s floor. As the golden doors swung open, his co-workers stopped in their tracks, frozen, before one of them let out a yell and rushed forwards to greet him. He swore someone burst into tears, but he couldn’t see who it was because the rest of his co-workers had swarmed around to fawn over him and confirm that he was completely fine. Qian welcomed him back with a smile, a firm handshake, and promised she had just emailed him a long list of all the makeup work he missed. Seven minutes later as the crowd trickled back to their desks to continue working for the day, one figure pushed forwards.

“Sehun?” the man smiled, revealing gleaming teeth, “I thought you quit your job. Or got fired. I had no idea you were in a coma.”

“Junmyeon?” Sehun said. He hoped Joohyun hadn’t seen him yet. “What are you doing here?”

“I was checking on another article mentioning me,” Junmyeon said before stepping closer, “Either way, I’m glad to hear you’re back. Stay healthy, all right?”

He moved his arm as if to give Sehun a friendly slap to the shoulder, but Jongdae had cleared his throat loudly and pushed Junmyeon’s hand out of the way before passing the movement off as a very dramatic stretch. Junmyeon stared at Jongdae before clapping his hands together.

“Oh! You’re the cute one from the pictures!” Junmyeon said, pointing at Jongdae, “Sehun, you’re so lucky! We should gather all our parents one day and have brunch with them. It’ll be fun. My father’s always looking to meet Central City citizens, and I’m the same. You’re all good people.” 

Sehun immediately took Jongdae’s hand and squeezed it as he heard Jongdae inhale sharply.

“My parents are dead,” Jongdae curtly said before pushing past Junmyeon and leading Sehun forwards, “so no thanks.”

As soon as they entered his office, Sehun had no time to ask if Jongdae was okay because Joohyun had suddenly shot up from her desk and flew forwards, nearly knocking Sehun back as she tightly hugged him.

“ _Sehun_ ,” Joohyun said before releasing him and looking at him up and down, “Are you all right? Look at you…finally standing. Can you even run yet, or is that out of the question for now? Your muscles are probably all weak from that sleeping, right?”

“I think I’m doing pretty okay actually,” Sehun said, “I can run a little.”

Jongdae gave Sehun a significant look, which was Sehun’s cue to say nothing more, to hint at nothing more. Joohyun was Joohyun and he trusted her completely, but perhaps he’d wait a little longer to determine if this new power was permanent before he’d somehow tell her that he had…super fucking speed. 

“Oh, good, good,” Joohyun said, hugging him one more time before leading him to his desk, “I refused to let anyone else take your desk or move your things, so everything’s exactly the way you left it.”

Sure enough, his desk seemed untouched, just like how he remembered it the last time he was here. A picture of him and Jongdae rested on the left corner, a cup of pens on the right, and not a single trace of dust was present on the mahogany wood.

“Thank you so much,” Sehun smiled, “You’re my favorite editor.”

Joohyun paused for second before smiling, though the brightness had dimmed a bit.

“Editor,” she said before pulling up her lips higher after a pause, “Yeah, that’s me. And you’re my favorite boy. No offense, Jongdae. There’s not much competition, but you’re definitely second.”

“None taken, Joohyun,” Jongdae said. Sehun noticed Jongdae’s hardened gaze and the way he clenched hands into fists.

Joohyun stared at him a little longer, opening her mouth as if to ask the same question Sehun wanted to ask before Jongdae shifted, noticing the extra attention. 

“I’ve got to head back to work now, but I’ll see you tonight, Sehun. It’s good to see you, too, Joohyun,” Jongdae said. He waved and flashed a smile before leaving, but Sehun was not convinced.

“He’s not as smiley as usual,” Joohyun said, staring at the door that Jongdae had just disappeared behind, “I thought he’d be happier when you woke up, but he looks the same.”

“He bumped into Junmyeon in the hall,” Sehun said.

“Oh, I see,” Joohyun said, finally taking a seat at her desk, “That explains it.”

Sehun wanted to explain more, explain what had caused Jongdae to react in such a way, but it was not his story even though he had been there for half of it, and it was not his place to expose such a terrible part of Jongdae’s childhood.

“He just…” Joohyun said, debating whether or not to speak before she gave in and continued, “We all took turns sitting by your bedside so you’d never be alone, but obviously, Jongdae took it the worst. We had to force him to eat, to drink, to sleep. He was lost without you, and I thought having you back would change that. But he looked the same there for a second.”

“I’m sorry,” Sehun said, sinking into his seat. As he pictured Jongdae unshaven, bags under his eyes tiredly sitting next to him, begging him to wake up, Sehun felt his heart plummet in his chest faster than he could blink.

“Don’t say that,” Joohyun said, “accidents happen. They told me what happened, and if it hadn’t been you, then it would’ve been Jongdae. I’m just glad you’re still alive. You’re completely fine, right? One hundred percent recovered? Does anything feel different?”

“Everything feels the same,” Sehun said, adding the sliver of guilt to the sudden slow, churning mess of emotions inside of him now. “Nothing’s changed at all with me.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

Sehun thought that Jongdae had slipped back to his normal bright self, as the previous stormy gaze and charged words hadn’t struck since. There was only his usual laughter, usual smiles, usual brightness, so Sehun didn’t question anything and let routine fall back into place.

Mornings with Jongdae were still the same. Jongdae still had to wake up early if there was a crime scene, but now, Sehun could make the second before Jongdae had to leave, the second he kissed him good-bye, seem longer than ever. But he couldn’t control time itself, and eventually Sehun had to let go and let time snap back into its normal progression as Jongdae finished kissing him and left with a smile. 

Though it seemed his speed was here to stay anyways, Sehun didn’t really do much with his powers. Sure, he used it to finish his chores instantly, but he liked walking to work, liked taking the time to look around city, liked enjoying the sights, the lights, the bright smiles of everyone who walked past him. What was the point of being fast if he’d lose these moments here and there?

So he prepared to settle himself into the same life he was used to, or at least an almost completely normal life, save his speed.

All until one day Baekhyun called him, breathlessly yelling into his phone.

“Jongdae’s got himself into a situation,” Baekhyun said, causing Sehun to freeze. He stared at the blinking cursor on his computer screen, clutching at his phone.

“What type of a situation?” Sehun asked. The sudden change in tone of his voice caused Joohyun to look up from her own work.

“He stepped into a situation and tried to defuse it, but it’s not going well. He’s all alone in there,” Baekhyun said.

“What?” Sehun asked, rising out of his seat, “Why would he do that? That’s the police’s job. He knows he’s just a forensic scientist.”

“There was a robbery in a private residence…a home invasion,” Baekhyun said, and without giving Sehun time to breathe, he continued, “There’s a family. The robbers have guns, and shots were fired earlier. I don’t know what’s happening now, but the police and the SWAT team are all here. They’ve got the place surrounded, but Jongdae’s the only one inside.”

Sehun felt his heart stop for a second before he tried to recover. He had to keep calm because he knew Jongdae was not right now.

“What’s the address? I’ll be there in a blink of an eye,” Sehun said before he realized he should have chosen his choice of words better as Joohyun looked at him curiously. After Baekhyun promised to text him the address, Sehun hung up and stared into nowhere for a second and only a second.

“Please watch my stuff,” Sehun said, bending down to save his work before he straightened up and searched for directions to the address with shaking hands, “Jongdae’s in trouble, so I have to go to him.”

“Is he okay?” Joohyun said, moving Sehun’s things behind her desk, “What’s wrong?”

“I have to go to him before he does something reckless,” Sehun said, memorizing the directions, the turns of the streets as fast as he could.  

“You look younger than you are when you’re afraid,” Joohyun softly said, staring up at him, “Be safe, okay? I can’t lose you again, too.”           

Sehun managed a smile before he sped walk out of their office. He checked the hallways, making sure if was empty before he took off, zooming down the flights of stairs, rushing through the streets to reach Jongdae before anything could happen. As Sehun tore through the city, there was no time to admire the sights around him. Buildings looked like blurs, lights looked like colorful smudges, and Sehun didn’t even notice the people.

Before he knew it, he skidded to a halt, landing behind a couple of big police cruisers. He stamped his feet again and stripped off his jacket, waving it around to smother out the cinders that had caught flame while he was running. After he was sure he wasn’t going to spontaneously combust, he dashed into the police line. The police seemed to have fallen back, not daring to encroach on the perimeters of the house as they tried to deflate the situation. The chief of police was present, grimly on the phone.

Sehun caught sight of Baekhyun and raced forwards in a normal pace, tapping him on the shoulder. Baekhyun turned, breathing in relief. 

“That was so quick,” Baekhyun said after greeting him.

“What’s happening now?” Sehun asked, staring at the house, trying to catch a glimpse of Jongdae. But all the windows had been covered by blinds. “Has anything changed?” 

“Not in the last few seconds since I talked to you,” Baekhyun grimly said, “but there are parents and a young son inside.”

“Oh, Jongdae,” Sehun said, pressing a hand to his cheek, “Can I come in?”

“Absolutely not,” the chief of police said as soon as she snapped her phone shut and noticed Sehun for the first time. She marched towards them and held a hand back, forcing Sehun and Baekhyun to back even further away from the scene.

“I need Jongdae back safely,” Sehun said, stepping closer, as close as he dared, “he’s only a forensic scientist. How could you let him go?”           

“He heard the words home invasion on the scanner, came here all by himself, and sprinted in before the negotiator could even get a chance to talk to the robbers,” the chief said, rubbing her temples with her fingers, “I should suspend him for this.”

“Suspend him for caring?” Sehun said, feeling his voice rise in volume and his shoulders straighten, “For throwing his life on the line?”

“No, for disobeying orders and protocol,” the chief said before casting a dismissive glance at Sehun, “You’re not even on the force, so I don’t know why you’re here. You, too, Baekhyun. This isn’t a job for forensics…yet. And may it never be. ”

“He’s family,” Sehun loudly said, causing police officers around them to stare, “you can’t expect me to stay on the sidelines and watch like the rest of you.”

“Hey, hey,” Baekhyun said, jumping in between them, pressing a hand on Sehun’s chest, “I’ll keep him here on the sidelines. Just…do your thing and get them all out safely.”

The chief of police looked at Sehun coldly for a second longer before turning back and barking orders at the officers around them. Baekhyun waited until everyone had refocused on the situation before he spoke.

“Sehun, do you think you can use your speed to fix this?” Baekhyun asked, lowering his voice, “That’s why I called you…I thought you’d be able to help. The police don’t know what to do. The robbers are too close to the hostages for them to intervene. Or snipe.”

“Yeah,” Sehun nodded without any hesitation, “I will. So I’ll just run in and take them out, right?”

“Well,” Baekhyun said, leading Sehun a couple of meters away so no one else could hear, “it’s more complicated like that. What would the police say if suddenly Jongdae and the hostages appeared safely on the lawn in a fl—”

“You’re right,” Sehun sighed, “So how do I make it look realistic?” 

“I think either way it’s going to look pretty unrealistic,” Baekhyun said, gesturing at Sehun, “Since you’re you and you can do the impossible. I guess we just have to contain the situation within the house and hope that the hostages are too scared to look or won’t say anything too…revealing.”

“Well it’s not like they can recognize me even if they can see things happening, right?” Sehun asked, bouncing on his toes, impatient to run into the house to save them, “I’d move too fast for them to see my face.”

“Hopefully,” Baekhyun said, “Once you go in, don’t stop until the situation’s contained. Maybe position the robbers away, take their guns, and then have Jongdae prepared to punch them and knock them out?”

Sehun blinked.

“I have super speed, not super strength,” Sehun said, “I have to drag them away all by myself?”

But Sehun let himself trail off because he and Baekhyun both knew that he would do anything for Jongdae. Jongdae was the one who lifted weights at the gym, but Sehun would lift these robbers over his shoulder if he had to even if the heaviest thing he usually picked up was a full laundry basket. Anything was doable if he did it for Jongdae.

“How do I open the front door of the house without making it seem too obvious?” Sehun asked.

Baekhyun thought hard for a moment before pointing in the direction away from them.

“Start running from there, and keep the door open when you enter. It’ll look like a strong wind blew it in,” Baekhyun said.

“Will the police believe that?” Sehun asked, turning to look at the stretch of land Baekhyun gestured at. The house was across from a park, so he’d have to hide behind the monkey bars and sprint from there.

“What else would they want to believe? That a super fast man sped into the house?” Baekhyun said.

He was right.

“Okay,” Sehun nodded, feeling his pulse accelerate out of nowhere, “I don’t know if I can go that fast to make it look like that, but—”

Baekhyun placed his hands on Sehun’s shoulders. 

“You will,” Baekhyun said, “because I believe in you, because you’re Oh Sehun, and because you love Jongdae more than you fear failure.”

Sehun took a deep breath and then sprinted as far away as he dared, the neighborhood looking like a collection of colors smeared together. He knew what he had to do and dashed through the police line, narrowly avoiding a police officer before opening the door and remembering to leave it open.

“What was that?” a voice said. Sehun zipped through the house, searching for Jongdae until he found everyone in what seemed like the master bedroom. The family huddled in one corner, and Jongdae stood in another corner with his hands raised. Two robbers dressed in all black pointed guns at Jongdae. Big guns that Sehun wondered why people like them could so easily buy. Sehun hesitated, and though he shouldn’t have, stopped running, dove behind a large armchair, and waited for the right moment to act.

“I thought we said no cops,” one robber growled into a phone, wildly looking around. Sehun crouched down, struggling to make himself smaller than he really was. Jongdae always said he loved his broad shoulders, but right now, Sehun hated them and hoped they weren’t sticking out from behind the chair. “What was that noise?" 

It seemed the police were finally attempting to negotiate with the robbers.

“You really want me to start shooting?” the robber shouted, “how are we supposed to believe you when you said the door just blew open?”

“Hey,” the other robber said after leaning out of the door to find the origin of the noise, “no one’s come up. I think they mean it.”

The robber scowled before disconnecting the call and readjusting his grip on his gun. Sehun could have easily saved Jongdae now, but he faltered just as he was straightening up, preparing to move. The two men had suddenly pressed their guns on Jongdae’s chest. And Sehun, with his heart leaping into his throat, did not know if he was fast enough to stop not even one, but two bullets were they to shoot now.

With his heart hammering in his chest, Sehun waited for the right time to act before it was too late. But the more he listened, the more he sat there in his thoughts, and the more he panicked.

“Let these people go,” Jongdae said. He was eerily calm, and Sehun didn’t know if he would have preferred seeing Jongdae scared, trembling, or like this. There was no fear in Jongdae’s eyes. Nothing. Not even a slight tremble. He stood with his shoulders straight and his chin up, not even minding the guns pressed up against his body.

“Or we could shoot you,” the robber said, jabbing Jongdae with the barrel of his gun, “and then shoot them.”

“And risk life in prison? Death? The police aren’t so kind when they hear shots fired. You’re already risking it waving guns around like that,” Jongdae said.

“I’ve been talking on the phone with them,” the other robber said, “they trust us.”

“A phone and a gun look the same to people like them. Do you want to risk that?” Jongdae said, still standing strong. Sehun never knew how Jongdae could do that. He himself was only hiding now, and every breath he took was a struggle when his chest had tightened.

“Then tell them to open the safe for us,” the robber said, gesturing at the family cowering in the corner, “all we wanted was to break into that safe, but they had to come home early.”

The other robber strode over and pulled the mother up by her hair, causing her to let out a scream, and dragged her over to the safe.

“Open it,” he firmly ordered, pointing the gun at her now. She only wept and raised shaking hands into the air while her son screamed for her. “Or you’ll die. Then your husband. And then your kid after he’s done watching it all.”

Sehun reassessed the situation. Two guns. Only one pointed at Jongdae now. But was he able to stop that one? Let alone both? He leaned forwards but still hesitated. But a moment’s hesitation could cost someone their lives.

Sehun was only a writer. He wasn’t a hero, didn’t even know how to save anyone, how to punch someone to the point of knocking them out unconscious. Of all people, why was he the one the lightning had blessed?

“Hey,” Jongdae yelled, “No one is going to die today.”

The family only looked at him with wide eyes.

“You hear that?” he said, lowering his voice, addressing the family now, “You’re going to be fine. I’m here, so don’t worry. You won’t die. Not now. You’ve still got long lives to live." 

The family didn’t look convinced, and the father cradled his hysterical son in his arms as the mother cried. Sehun studied Jongdae, at last finding traces of tears in his eyes that stubbornly refused to fall. And as the robbers seemed to consider his words, Sehun acted, bolting up from the chair, sending it flying back before he whooshed around the room. His first priority was always Jongdae, so he pushed one robber to the side, kicking the gun away before slamming into the other robber, making him land as far away from the mother as possible. He could not stop running now and continued to circle around the room, sure that everyone could see the lightning bolts and electricity crackling around him by now. Sehun quickly pressed a kiss to Jongdae’s cheek before zooming out the room, hoping Jongdae could single-handedly contain the situation now that the robbers had been disarmed.

Sehun didn’t stop running until he was out of the house, across the street, and behind a large tree no one really was looking at. He finally stopped, panting as he peered out of the tree’s trunk. Baekhyun was pacing back and forth while the other police officers grimly watched.

Sehun waited with baited breath before he saw the chief give out new signals and the police storm into the house seconds later. He waited with his hands clasped together, watching the police officers drag out the robbers. Sehun remembered to breathe after he saw Jongdae calmly lead the family out, all seemingly unharmed. Jongdae guided them to the ambulance before looking around, looking for something. Someone.

That was Sehun’s cue to come closer, and as he walked across the street, he saw the chief stare at Jongdae, hands on her hips or three seconds before she finally spoke.

“How did you fix the situation so fast?” the chief asked, “we thought it was escalating.”

“I don’t know,” Jongdae shrugged, “it’s like I’ve got a guardian angel looking after me, you know?”

The chief threw Jongdae a look.

“I won’t be taking extreme disciplinary measures, but be lucky I’m only suspending you for a week. If the family had died in there, you would be jobless,” she said, jabbing Jongdae’s chest before another police officer grabbed her attention and she left to yell at him. 

Not to be happy that Jongdae was getting suspended, but Sehun didn’t think a week away from work seemed so bad. A week with seeing Jongdae more often. How was that a punishment?

“But they’re alive,” Jongdae said, his shoulders relaxing, “No one had to die today. And they didn’t.”

Jongdae paused, looked around again before Baekhyun pulled him into a hug. Sehun took that as his cue and forced himself to jog and only jog the remaining distance at an excruciatingly slow pace before jumping straight into Jongdae’s arms and squeezing him tightly. 

“I was so worried,” Sehun said, rubbing Jongdae’s back to check he was really here, he was really fine, “Baekhyun called me about the home invasion, and I was worried you—”

“I’m fine,” Jongdae said.

Sehun pulled back to examine Jongdae, searching for any injuries. There were none. No cuts, no scrapes, no wounds. But Jongdae still stared into nowhere, still pressed his lips together, and still looked on the verge of letting out either a sigh, a breath, or a cry.

“Are you really?” Sehun said, checking one more time just to make sure, “I know that must’ve made you rem—” 

“Yeah,” Jongdae said, exhaling deeply, “The family wasn’t hurt, so it'll be fine. Thanks for looking out for me.”

He looked around before leaning closer to Sehun.

“What about you?” he whispered, “You could’ve been hurt.”

Now it was his turn to lift up Sehun’s sleeves, grab his cheek to look for any injuries.

“You knew it was me?” Sehun asked.

“Who else could it have been?” Jongdae said, “and I felt your kiss before you zoomed out of the house.”

Finally, his lips curled up. A small smile, but still such a dazzling one.

“I can outrun bullets now,” Sehun said, easily returning the smile, “I think you had a greater chance of getting hurt than me.”

“Still,” Jongdae harshly whispered, “What if you got shot? What if they attacked you? What if they saw you use your powers? What if you died?” 

“But I didn’t,” Sehun said, “But I’m still here, and I was moving too fast for anyone to see.” 

Jongdae rubbed his face with his hands, looking older than he was, the bags on his eyes more prominent in this moment. Sehun regretted that Jongdae had to grow up so fast when he was so young, had to see things that no child should ever have to see. 

“Just…don’t go putting yourself into danger, all right?” Jongdae said, placing his hand on Sehun’s shoulder, “I know you have this extraordinary power, but it doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Don’t go looking for trouble.” 

Sehun bit back his reply to Jongdae, refused to say that Jongdae should have taken his own advice. Jongdae was not a police officer, just a scientist, and he shouldn’t have run into the house like that. But he knew why Jongdae had done so and kept quiet.

“I thought I already lost you once,” Jongdae said, his voice softening, “I don’t ever want to feel that way again. Please stay with me, Sehun. All right?”

“Always,” Sehun promised, “I’m with you always.”

Some policeman called Jongdae over with a wave of his hand, but before he left, he promised Sehun he would be back in seconds. Jongdae hadn’t even stepped away for two seconds before Baekhyun led Sehun down the street with a wide grin on his face despite the situation. He, too, looked around before whispering.

“Hey, Sehun. Want to go brave some danger for the greater good?” Baekhyun whispered. 

Sehun almost laughed.

“Jongdae doesn’t want me to look for danger,” Sehun whispered, “and I don’t know if I’m good at it. I don’t think I am at all. Today I hesitated, and it took forever to deal with those criminals.”

“Yeah, but what about you?” Baekhyun asked, elbowing him, “what you did out there…that was incredible. You helped those people without anyone having to get hurt, and without even a scratch on yourself. Imagine what you could do to this city’s crime rate, you know?”

Him? Reduce this city’s crime rate? His skills were in writing, not fighting. Loving, not saving. What could a pen do against someone with a gun? What could his heart do against a natural disaster?

“I promised Jongdae,” Sehun said, “and I’m not a hero. I don’t think I’m good enough to be able to do all of that.”

Baekhyun let out a sigh, and Sehun thought that was the end of it as they continued walking around the neighborhood in silence. He almost didn’t catch Baekhyun’s next word and leaned closer to listen.

“Please?” Baekhyun said, a little softer now. The smile had slid off his face.

“Why?” Sehun asked, lowering his voice to match Baekhyun’s, “Why…when I’m only me? Why do you want me to try this?”

Baekhyun shoved his hands in his pockets and exhaled.

“Because that would give me a chance to help,” Baekhyun said, “You can’t save a whole city by yourself, you know….and I just…want to do more. Protect the good against those who are either too cruel to do better or who are too young, too stupid to know better.”

Sehun caught the shadow that clouded Baekhyun’s expression for a second before he hesitated. And nodded.

“I’ll try it once. For you only,” Sehun said. He hated that he hadn’t yet found a way to tear Jongdae and Baekhyun away from the past that they were stuck in. “But if it’s too hard, then I’m out, okay? The lightning bolt amplified my speed, but it didn’t do anything for my bravery.”

“That’s because you’ve always been brave, Sehun,” Baekhyun grinned, bouncing on his toes, eager to run away to start whatever plan he had concocted. Just like that, he was back to how Sehun remembered him. “You won’t regret it. Give me a week, and then come by my place.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

Sehun regretted.

“What the fuck is that,” Sehun said a week later, pointing at the _thing_ that Baekhyun held up in front of him.           

“It’s your super suit,” Baekhyun said, shaking it in front of him, “It’s sleek, aerodynamic, and it won’t burn off of you when you’re going at high speeds.”

“It’s white,” Sehun said.

“It’s a prototype,” Baekhyun said, pushing it to Sehun’s chest, “This is the best I could do in a week’s notice. Try it on?” 

“Absolutely not,” Sehun said, taking a step back to create more distance between him and that thing, “I’ll look like a fucking condom.”

“Okay, I admit it’s lacking in design,” Baekhyun conceded as he lowered his arms, “but come on…what do you say? Try it on and go stop some danger?”

“Talk to me when it comes in a different color,” Sehun said, crossing his arms across his chest, “And aren’t you late for work? Jongdae left an hour ago.”

“I was _hoping_ to keep this between us since you said Jongdae didn’t want you doing this,” Baekhyun sighed, finally laying the suit on his desk. “So I’m taking a late notice to ask you.”

Sehun didn’t know what to say, so he only looked away, finding boxes still unpacked around the apartment even though Baekhyun had moved here ages ago. But just as he was about to open his mouth, Baekhyun’s phone buzzed five times in a row.

He checked the screen and winced.

“That’s Jongdae and Dr. Lee,” Baekhyun said, turning his phone over to avoid looking at the messages, “I should get going…but think about it okay?”

He squeezed Sehun’s shoulder before slipping on his jacket. Sehun watched him nearly trip over himself as he slipped on his shoes without tying the laces.

“Should I call a taxi if I’m already late?” Baekhyun said as he swung his bag over his shoulder, “too bad I don’t have your speed, right?”

Sehun sighed, gingerly picking up the suit after Baekhyun shut the door behind him. He stretched it, finding the material flexible. It really did look like a fucking condom.

He gave the suit no more thought, folded it neatly, and placed it on top of Baekhyun’s desk before leaving for work. He managed to have a longer conversation with Soojung today, and after picking up his coffee, he sat outside around a small table to enjoy his morning. Bustling cars inched past his line of vision.

After realizing he had a minute left before he would be officially late to work, Sehun ducked behind an alley away from any prying eyes and zipped to the back entrance of his building. He checked his watch and brushed himself off, pleased with how convenient his speed made life for him. He was even three seconds early when he finally set his bag down on his desk. After a good-morning to Joohyun and a quick chat, he began to work after opening his latest drafts.

“How’s your work for today, Joohyun?” Sehun asked an hour later. He had been staring at his screen for the past five minutes, his previous motivation fading, and thought it would be a good time for a break.

“Good,” Joohyun said. She scribbled comments in the margins of someone’s printed draft and crossed out unnecessary words and sentences with her green pen. “But this writer will have to rewrite everything I’m reading. Who do they think they are thinking this can pass at a newspaper like ours?”

She shook her head, crossed out another two lines of text before looking up.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’ve still got a lot of makeup writing to do,” Sehun said. He wasn’t complaining. In college, he once had tried not writing for three days straight to give himself a break after submitting a lengthy piece to a magazine and almost died. Who was he if he didn’t write?

“Sometimes I wish I had your job, Sehun,” Joohyun said after a pause. She dropped her gaze back down to the paper and wrote something at the bottom of the page. 

“Then write,” Sehun said, watching her strike out another sentence a moment later.

“I’m an editor,” Joohyun said, adding another note in the margin. Sometimes she preferred to edit online, but he supposed today she preferred the feeling of having a pen between her fingers and the satisfaction of crossing out every offending word by hand. “It took me a lot of determination to get here, to stay here, so I won’t quit this either.”

“You can do both,” Sehun said, but before Joohyun could respond, her phone rang, causing her to drop her pen and pick it up. She slightly turned her chair around and spoke in a hushed voice, which was Sehun’s cue to leave since he shouldn’t listen in. 

Sehun took a walk around their floor to stretch his legs before heading to the break room. A few of his co-workers were sitting on the couches having an early lunch. Sehun greeted them before peeking at the snack pantry, ultimately grabbing a whole bag of apples for himself. 

Baekhyun had warned him that he would have to eat more since he burned through much more energy every time he used his speed. Sehun just wanted to know how he was supposed to eat as much as his body needed when his paycheck was like _that_. He ate his way through the bag, taking his time on the last apple after someone sat beside him and turned up the volume on the TV across the room. The TV only showed their affiliate news broadcast channel of course. Someone was currently reporting the weather, and it seemed like only sunny days were ahead. Not even a slight chance of rain.

But suddenly, the words BREAKING NEWS appeared on the screen in bold, angry red letters, causing Sehun to freeze mid-bite. He recognized Park Sunyoung, a reporter, standing outside of a bank. When he saw the headline appear at the bottom, the apple tumbled out of his grasp.

 

 

TWO DEAD, ONE IN CRITICAL CONDITION, THREE WOUNDED IN BANK ROBBERY GONE WRONG

 

 

“We are here live at the scene,” Sunyoung said. Her expression was professionally stoic, but there was no way she could feel nothing after so many sheet-covered stretchers were wheeled away into the ambulance behind her. “While the police had time to act, a failure to decide what to do, a failure to negotiate in time triggered the robber and caused him to fire shots at the hostages. One is in critical condition, and the others—”

Sehun leapt to his feet and strode out of the break room, feeling far too much. There had been time to act. There had been time to save all the hostages. If there was time for humans without his speed to do something, anything at all, then he could’ve ran in and out in a fl—

But really. What could he do? He was only a writer. Jongdae had made sure Sehun kept pepper spray in his bag, but what did he know about throwing a punch? No, to protect, he had to know how to fight, but he knew nothing of that matter. He shook his head and sat back down at his desk to write. This was what he was good at. So this was what he would do.

Today’s article was about Park Chanyeol, a local baker, who had gifted Sehun with a whole apple pie after finishing the interview. He had learned to bake from his grandmother and recreated her recipes he loved so much every day in his kitchen. He didn’t believe in charging much for cookies and kept his prices low so more people could enjoy them. When there was any extra bread or pastries after the end of the day, his first destination after closing was the local shelters. There was no use in throwing away food if it could be shared with others.

After Sehun finished a rough draft, he sighed and leaned back in his chair. There was good in this city no matter how bad their crime rate could be sometimes. If he stopped believing in this city, in its people, then it was only a matter of time before he saw it as a second Gotham like some extreme news commentators said during their projections of Central City’s crime rates fifty years from now. But that was a distant future, and Sehun couldn’t imagine this sunny city’s streets ever transforming into grimy, gritty Gotham. 

But he was quiet for the rest of the day. Quieter than usual. Every now and then he checked his phone for updates about the attack. None of the hostages at the hospital had died in the past few hours. As he was preparing to go home, he checked his phone again and learned that one hostage had been released from the hospital. His heart felt lighter, he breathed a little easier, and he walked a little quicker that night, needing to see Jongdae sooner.

At home, Jongdae was cooking dinner even though he was probably tired. Sehun greeted him with a kiss, put his things down, and rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands before helping. He checked his phone again as they were waiting for the pasta to boil. Another hostage had been released from the ICU and was expected to make a full recovery without complications. And just like that, Sehun thought that things would be fine and shoved his phone in his pocket to set the table while Jongdae ladled spoonfuls of his bright red tomato sauce, carefully cooked with basil, onions, and garlic, onto their pasta.

They smiled through dinner and their laughter drowned out the sound of their forks clinking against their plates and their glasses knocking against each other. No matter what anyone said about Central City, it was still the best city to Sehun because Jongdae was here. This city was just like any other city in the country anyways. Bad things happened every day, worse things happened less often, and the worst happened even less.

But Jongdae had to see those terrible things every day at work, and today must have been especially hard because he curled up in bed, pulling the sheets over his shoulders right after dinner. He fell asleep with a hand placed on Sehun’s arm as if he needed to make sure that Sehun was still here, always here with him. Sehun wasn’t tired yet, so he stayed up to work a little more on an article, chatted with Joohyun, and tried to play some online game with Baekhyun as quietly as he could before finally getting ready for bed. 

After he finally switched off the light on his nightstand, he scrolled around on his phone for the next thirty minutes. He had almost forgotten about today’s events until his phone beeped, flashing a notification with a headline he didn’t mean to see.

 

 

HOSTAGE FROM BANK ATTACK DIES FROM WOUNDS

 

 

Sehun flipped his phone up side down, plunging the room into sudden darkness. He breathed and laid on his side, reaching forwards to make sure Jongdae was still there fast asleep next to him. After he lightly touched Jongdae’s shoulder, he turned his gaze to the ceiling. The police said there had been time to act, but it was their hesitation that cost them, that cost this person their life. Sehun wasn’t good at being decisive, but with trembling fingers, he flipped his phone back over, the bright light illuminating the darkness as he texted Baekhyun a single message. 

_When can we start?_

           

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

“How’s this? Still look like a condom” Baekhyun asked, leading Sehun to a mirror the next day. Sehun had given up his lunch break to be here, and Baekhyun had lied about visiting the morgue to show him his new suit.

“Absolutely,” Sehun said as he stared in the mirror. He had tried Baekhyun’s new suit, the material still flimsy, still skin tight. “At least it’s red this time.” 

“No one will see you since you’re running so fast,” Baekhyun said, pulling at the material of Sehun’s suit and letting go so it slapped his skin, “so it doesn’t matter what you look like now.” 

“You’re seeing me right now in this,” Sehun said, pulling at the fabric around his thighs. 

“Yeah, but it’s only me,” Baekhyun said, patting Sehun’s shoulder, “and is there anything I haven’t seen?”

Sehun sighed as he saw Baekhyun’s cheeky grin from the mirror. 

“What now?” Sehun said, turning away from the mirror before he’d change his mind and rip the whole thing off, “What’s the first step?”

“I still have to make adjustments on the suit,” Baekhyun said, lifting up Sehun’s arm to examine something, “but the basic tech in it allows me to monitor your movement, where you are in the city, your vital signs, stuff like that. So I’ll be able to guide you, see whatever you face, and be your very handsome navigator." 

Basic?

“Can you tell me how to take down criminals, or is that something I have to figure out by myself?” Sehun asked. 

“Your speed should definitely help, but you’ll need to find someone to teach you soon,” Baekhyun said, plucking something tiny off of his desk and slipping it in Sehun’s ear. Sehun knew Baekhyun was good at tech, but he didn’t know he was _this_ good. He highly doubted Baekhyun had just bought all of this somewhere and didn’t know how he found the time to make all of this. 

“So how do we know when to beat up bad guys and save the day?” Sehun said.

“I piggybacked onto the police scanner,” Baekhyun said, turning his back to Sehun as he switched on his screens and began typing something, “and no. I didn’t hack.”

“I didn’t say you did,” Sehun said, staring at the monitors and understanding none of the programs displayed. 

“Just saying,” Baekhyun shrugged.

“We just wait for the police to call something in?” Sehun asked, shifting the conversation to a safer topic. He attempted to sit before giving up and standing after finding it was equally uncomfortable. “How do we know when something is bad enough for me to try and help them?”

“I think the police can handle getting kittens out of trees,” Baekhyun said as some voice warbled from his speakers, “I guess we’ll just have to take it on a case by case basis.” 

_We’ve got a 10-51 at a bar on Main Street. Two drunken individuals engaged in knife fight. Bartender trapped behind bar._

“That sounds doable, right? We’ll go easy for your first time so you can get some hero practice,” Baekhyun said, turning away from the computer, looking for Sehun, but not looking for an answer. 

Easy? 

“Who gets drunk at this time of the day?” Sehun asked.

“Go!” Baekhyun said, pointing at the door, “I’ll navigate.” 

Sehun's feet were rooted on the floor, and even if he wanted to lift them, to suddenly sprint away, he couldn’t.

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said, a sudden jolt of adrenaline striking him, “What if I…can’t?”

“Don’t hesitate,” Baekhyun said, still pointing at the door, “Just go.”

“What if I do more harm than help?” Sehun asked, feeling smaller than he should. Not just because of the way the fabric of his suit felt like it was suffocating him.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said, grabbing Sehun’s shoulders, “Look at me.”

Sehun let out a shaky breath and looked at Baekhyun. Baekhyun’s gaze wandered over Sehun’s face before his lips wobbled.

“Okay,” Baekhyun said, letting out a small laugh, “Okay you’re right. I can’t take you seriously when you wear that…I will definitely make some changes.”

“Is this supposed to be a pep talk?” Sehun asked, his lips pulling down into a pout.

“Yes,” Baekhyun said, shaking Sehun’s shoulders again, “Go out there and do it. Even if you fail, at least you tried, right?” 

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said, a little softer. He didn’t have to say it, but Baekhyun knew.

“Hey,” Baekhyun said, smiling, “This will give us a chance to do better, to be kinder to the people of the city. And don’t be afraid. I’ll talk at you nonstop so you won’t feel alone.”

“Okay,” Sehun mumbled. He wasn’t convinced, but the more time he wasted here, the less time he had to fix whatever problem was at the bar.

“Now go!” Baekhyun said, pushing him forwards, “and don’t hesitate!”

Sehun stumbled, looking back at Baekhyun’s grin once more before he took a deep breath and zoomed out the door. Just as he started to run down the street as fast as he could, Baekhyun’s voice buzzed in his ear.

“Wrong way! Turn back!”

“It would’ve been helpful to know that sooner,” Sehun yelled, trying to make his voice heard through the wind before he darted back, sending a strong gale in the opposite direction.

“Right!” 

“What?” Sehun asked, almost tripping on his own feet as he struggled to process what Baekhyun had said, “Now?”

“Ah, you missed! Take a left here.”

“Now?” Sehun asked, making a left down the street past a line of yellow taxis. 

“You missed it! Don’t hesitate!”

“Can you tell me in advance?” Sehun called out. He refused to slow down or to stop, so he kept on running.

“Right in two lights.”

Sehun turned, waiting for the next order of information.

“Right in one stop sign, left in three lights, right, right, right.”

“ _What_?” Sehun yelled, trying his best to remember. 

It would’ve taken him a few seconds to reach the bar, but thanks to Baekhyun’s directions, he took him a minute because he had to keep circling back. He would’ve liked to take a tiny break after he finally reached the bar. But if he stopped, then he would be visible, and he wanted no one to see him like this. So he didn't stop and ran directly inside.

The other patrons of the bar had evacuated, but the two men were still fighting. The bartender was nowhere to be found. No one seemed physically and visibly wounded yet, but they were still slashing the air around each other with knives. The cops had not arrived yet.

Sehun continued to run around the room, circling around the perimeter, unsure of what to do.

“Why are you running in a circle?” Baekhyun asked.

“Does it _look_ like I know what I’m doing?” Sehun asked, “How do I approach them?” 

“Who said that?” one of the men yelled, waving his knife around before he saw the disturbance Sehun created with his speed, “What…What is that? Is that lightning? A lightning storm in here?”

“Do something, Sehun,” Baekhyun urged, “Punch one of them!”

But Sehun who was busy running around, hesitated, and couldn’t bring himself to act. He darted around the men, eyeing the knives warily. Two silver ones. At least they weren’t guns, but what if he tripped on his own foot and somehow caused the man to stab the other in the time that it took for him to recover? 

“I don’t know if I’m fast enough,” Sehun said, “What if they make any sudden moves?”

“Listen,” Baekhyun said, “if you’re not fast enough, then who is? Just try. It’s better than nothing.”

Sehun gritted his teeth and promised he’d do something after running a few more laps.

“It’s just electricity,” the other man loudly slurred, waving the his knife around wildly, “an omen for your death.”

He stumbled, jabbing his knife forwards. Even if Sehun had powers, his internal monologue was still just a stream of _fuck, fuck, fuck._ The man lunged forwards with his knife again, and Sehun let out a scream before finally rushing forwards to body slam the man, sending him flying across the room.

“Heroes don’t make noises like that,” Baekhyun said, laughing through Sehun’s’ comm. 

“I’m not a hero,” Sehun said, straightening up in a blink of an eye before he started racing around the room again. The fall had knocked the man’s knife from his hand, so Sehun kicked it out of the way. 

“What the,” the man said, groaning on the floor, “What the fuck was that?”

The other man yelled, taking a step back before walking into the table behind him. 

“Stay away from me, spirits,” he said, swiping the air with his knife, “Who are you?”

“He sounds lovely,” Baekhyun said.

As the man lunged forwards, Sehun paused for a second, evaluated the situation, the exact angle the man was slashing down before giving up and deciding to barrel into him from the back.

When he had fought the armed robbers from the home invasion, he hadn’t known how to disarm them. Even now, though this man only held a knife, Sehun was clueless. He was a writer after all. Writers like him didn’t know how to disarm people in gunfights or knife fights.

But it seemed to be enough, and the man fell on his face, the knife skidding out of his reach. Sehun observed the scene, found both men lying on the floor, groaning. Sirens screeched in the distance, so Sehun thought his job was done and took off, sprinting back to Baekhyun’s apartment. 

He knew his way back at least, and in a few seconds, he raced in, finally falling to the ground, heaving in and out, gasping for air. He pulled off the hood from his head as Baekhyun yelled and ran to him.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said, throwing himself on top of him, “That was _amazing_. Wow! You took out those guys so quickly!”

“Really?” Sehun said between breaths, trying to breathe as the force of Baekhyun’s’ whole weight crushed his body and his lungs, “I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.”

If he were to give himself a grade for what he had just done, he’d probably give himself a C+. The plus was for actually stopping the men from stabbing themselves. The C was for taking forever to split apart their fight and figuring out no other way to disarm them other than barreling into them at high speeds, probably injuring them even more.

“You were good!” Baekhyun said, pushing himself off of Sehun. He sat up next to him and patted his leg.

“I don’t think so,” Sehun said, slumping down on the floor. He had caught his breath, but he felt like he needed a thousand hour nap to recover from everything. Baekhyun raised his fist and hovered it over Sehun’s face, but Sehun was too exhausted to bump it back. “That was terrible." 

“You were _great_ ,” Baekhyun said, picking up Sehun’s hand and closing it into a fist before fist bumping himself. He patted Sehun’s shoulder again before standing up and walking back to his desk. “You’ll get better with practice over time. I know it. But that was a good first save.”

Sehun closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of Baekhyun’s fingers rapidly moving across the keyboard and police scanner buzzing every now and then.

“I’ll keep monitoring the police scanner and call you if anything else comes on, okay?” Baekhyun said, “But really…really good job, Sehun. I’m sure that bartender is grateful.”

Sehun didn’t feel the same and sighed as he picked himself off of the ground. His lunch break was over, and it was time to get back to work. Because that’s who he really was. A writer. A journalist. Not a hero.

“You said Jongdae didn’t want you doing this, right?” Baekhyun said, taking the suit after Sehun changed out of it, “Please don’t tell him.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

“He _what_?” Jongdae said, suddenly sitting up straight, sending the blankets and pillows flying forward, “You _what_?”

Sehun pulled a pillow over his face as he continued lying in bed.

“We might have looked for trouble and…stopped it,” Sehun said, his voice muffled from behind the pillow.

“You put yourself in danger?” Jongdae said, snatching the pillow away to peer at him, grasping at his face to check for any injuries before he examined the rest of his body. There were red marks on Sehun’s collarbones that he had received only a few minutes ago, but he and Jongdae both knew he hadn’t received them from doing anything life threatening. “Baekhyun put you in danger?”

“It was his idea,” Sehun mumbled as Jongdae raised Sehun’s arm, “I wanted to help. It was only a drunken bar fight.”

“Sehun,” Jongdae said. He stopped looking, unable to find any bruises or broken bones, but still gripped Sehun’s arm. “It’s not your job to split up fights or to save anyone.”

He knew. Sehun knew more than anyone he was incompetent at anything even remotely related to vigilantism.

“Baekhyun said it was practice,” Sehun said as Jongdae flopped on top of him, “But I think I hurt those people more than I helped. I don’t know how to disarm anyone, so all I did was run into them.”

“That’s because you’re not a police officer,” Jongdae sighed as he rested his head on Sehun’s chest, “You’re so brave, Sehun. Why would you willingly go into danger? Put yourself at risk?”

“I’m not,” Sehun said, recalling the way he had screamed as he placed a hand on Jongdae’s back. “But everything I know about bravery, I learned from you.”

Jongdae looked up at him, his lips slightly parted before they curled up into a smile. Sehun was so in love, and he was breathless as Jongdae leaned forwards to kiss him. He didn’t care about being the fastest man alive, and he wanted to strive towards being the kindest man alive, the best boyfriend alive. But he was already the luckiest man alive because Jongdae was right here, had been right here with him for as long as he could remember. 

“It’s not such a bad idea, though,” Sehun mused. Jongdae hummed and traced little patterns on Sehun’s skin. He didn’t have to follow Jongdae’s finger to know they were all lightning bolts. “What Baekhyun wants to do. If I can help people with this speed, then I should, right?”

Jongdae stayed silent for a few moments before pushing himself off of Sehun and sitting up. 

“Can I see it?” he asked, offering his hand to Sehun, “Your suit? And everything Baekhyun’s been working on?”

Sehun nodded, grabbing Jongdae’s hand as Jongdae helped him up.

“Let me wash up a little, and we’ll go,” Sehun said, heading the bathroom. He washed his face, and after looking in the mirror, found that the red marks on his collarbone had disappeared. He stared a moment longer at his reflection before he threw on clothes, walked right across the hall with Jongdae, and knocked.

“He—” Baekhyun started to say before noticing Jongdae’s crossed arms, “ey….”

Jongdae slipped through the door past Baekhyun and walked inside. 

“So where is it?” Jongdae asked as he looked behind Baekhyun’s TV.

“Where is what?” Baekhyun asked, testily watching Jongdae pick up his lamp and put it back down.

“The suit,” Jongdae said, picking up the cushions from the couch one by one, “It better be bulletproof.”

“You told,” Baekhyun gasped and quickly turned to Sehun, “How could you?”

“I can’t keep anything from Jongdae. Sorry,” Sehun shrugged.

The corners of Baekhyun’s lips pulled down, and he threw his hood over his head, tugging at the strings as he watched Jongdae continue to search his apartment. Perhaps he expected some anger, maybe even a lecture.

“I expected you to look madder,” Baekhyun said after a while and Jongdae said nothing and found nothing.

Jongdae did his best to frown, to cross his arms around his chest. But he could never be mad at his friends like this, no. His wrath was reserved for the past, for things he wanted to erase even if they were beyond his control. 

“I’m just mad you didn’t tell me,” Jongdae said at last, his shoulders slightly relaxing, “but if Sehun really wants to do this, then I can’t be mad.”

Baekhyun stared at Jongdae for three seconds before he finally processed what Jongdae had said and grinned.           

“That’s not all, right?” Baekhyun laughed, squeezing Jongdae into a hug, “You want to help the city. I know you…If there was a way to save everyone from crimes, then you’d do it instantly.” 

“Just…let me see the suit you made him. I heard it’s ugly as fuck,” Jongdae said, though he began smiling.

“One second,” Baekhyun said, racing into the spare bedroom before running back and holding the suit out in front of him. It was just as ugly as Sehun remembered, but at least it wasn’t white.

“Try it on,” Baekhyun said, pressing it against Sehun’s chest. Sehun gingerly pinched it with two fingers before spinning around, changing as fast as he could. Half a second later, his previous clothes had fallen on the floor, and there he stood, feeling incredibly exposed in the skintight red suit. Jongdae took one look at him and suppressed a laugh behind his hand.

“You look like a red condom,” Jongdae said, causing Sehun to sigh and quickly change out of the suit.

“Baekhyun, I _told_ you,” Sehun said, pushing the suit back into Baekhyun’s hands, “How would any criminal take me seriously in this?”

“Hey, hey,” Baekhyun said, placing the suit on the coffee table and smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles, “this is the improved suit. Come _on_. At least it’ll protect you, right?”

“It’s missing something,” Jongdae said, staring at the suit.

“I’ll fix it later,” Baekhyun waved, “I’m making a new one anyways with stronger material…to fix the condom problem.”

“How do you have the time for all of this? And the resources?” Sehun asked.

“Oh, you know me,” Baekhyun said as he folded the suit neater than he’d fold his own clothes. “I have my ways. But are we cool? Are we all doing this?” 

Sehun looked at Jongdae, waiting for his answer. It was a habit, one he had picked up from when he was young. He was used to letting other people answer first before he’d make up his own mind. His father told him it was a poor habit, but this was who Sehun was.

“I don’t like that we’re risking you to save the city,” Jongdae said, crossing his arms, “but if you want to do this, then I’ll support you all the way.”

“So what do you say, Sehun?” Baekhyun said, “Yes or no?”

Sehun initially agreed to try this for Baekhyun, for the people that could have been saved at that bank robbery. But now, after running under the suit once, he had to admit it felt good to help others rather than standing still and watching the latest tragedy on the news. 

And now, he thought of Jongdae. People like Jongdae. If he had been this fast when he was younger, when Jongdae was younger, then he could’ve stopped the past from happening, stopped Jongdae from losing so much on that night. They couldn’t return to that day, so Sehun would run forwards and make sure Jongdae’s past never echoed in the future.

“Let’s do this,” Sehun said.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

Even though it seemed like a terrible idea, their headquarters was located in Baekhyun’s spare bedroom. It wasn’t like they had the financial resources to just construct a secret bat cave, some underground lair, or a big lab where they could store everything and operate covertly. In the spare room, Baekhyun dragged in a new desk where he placed newly bought monitors and boxy glowing things Sehun didn’t know the names for. It had been a while since Baekhyun had even touched something more advanced than a laptop, but Baekhyun explained it was for a good purpose before anything else could be said.

Baekhyun had updated the software on his computers and the security around his apartment, too. Apparently it was state of the art. High tech. No one could hack into their computers if they weren’t Baekhyun, and he had installed a lock he had designed himself to keep out anyone except for them out. Sehun wondered what would their landlord say if he ever decided to have a surprise inspection.

Sehun also wondered what would have happened if Baekhyun hadn't decided to study forensic science just because he wanted to take classes with Jongdae. But Jongdae was not the only one weighted by his past, and Baekhyun refused to talk about his childhood. Though not for the same reason as Jongdae.

Baekhyun had also given them upgraded multi-link comms he designed himself. Having Baekhyun talk him through his first mission kept him grounded and alert, but as he heard Jongdae’s voice crackling through his comms, Sehun felt invincible.

“Still haven’t fixed that suit?” Sehun asked as Baekhyun handed it to him again today. He changed in and out of that same red, skintight suit before Baekhyun could even blink. 

“Some of us don’t have super speed, Sehun,” Baekhyun said, pulling back the hood of Sehun’s suit to put the comms inside his ear before tugging it over Sehun’s head. 

“It’s still missing something,” Jongdae said, staring at him, “If you threw him out in a rave, he’d fit right in with the other people who come dressed like that.”

“Except his suit is made to resist friction so he doesn’t burst into flames every time he runs,” Baekhyun said, standing in front of Sehun as he placed his hands on his hips.

“You need a superhero name,” Baekhyun said, tilting his head as he continued to stare, “What name are the crowds of people going to chant when you save the day? What will you tell the reporter that asks you for your name? What sequence of letters will fill every newspaper headline every day from now on?” 

“There’s no need,” Sehun said, waving Baekhyun off. All of that attention, all of those headlines seemed impossible and unnecessary. He was not here to be a hero after all. “I’ll just…quietly get the job done before anyone can see me.” 

“They’ll see something,” Jongdae said, “lightning and electricity crackling up, creating a whirlwind that no one could have never imagined.”

Baekhyun snapped his fingers.

“The Streak,” Baekhyun said, “since it just looks like you’re streaking by.”

“That’s terrible,” Sehun said.

“It’ll come to me,” Baekhyun said, “don’t worry. We’ll find you a name better than Superman, that’s for sure.” 

For the next hour, they continued chattering together, waiting for the monitors to beep or the police scanner to announce something threatening. Jongdae dismissed another bar fight as not dire enough for Sehun’s attention. So they waited for something not too dangerous, but something the police wouldn't mind having some assistance on.

“I thought this would be more exciting,” Baekhyun muttered, resting his cheek in his hand, “But we’re just waiting.”

“This is Central City. Not Gotham,” Jongdae said, “If we had a city with even as half as much crime as Gotham, then I’d join Sehun myself and help even if I didn’t have powers. Even if you made me wear a skin-tight suit.”

“Well, since you can’t run at super fast speeds,” Sehun said, pulling at the uncomfortable material of his suit, “just leave the danger for me.”

Suddenly the monitor beeped before Jongdae could respond, and a gargled voice calmly announced the latest crime.

_We’ve got a 211 in progress at the local jewelry store. No shots fired._

“That’s a robbery,” Baekhyun said, “That’s it.”

Sehun stood up, pulling at the fabric around his legs again. That seemed like a big enough threat. Jongdae rose and kissed his cheek. 

“For good luck,” Jongdae said, “don’t let them touch you.”

“They won’t even be able to catch me,” Sehun smiled.

“Now go,” Jongdae smiled, “I hate saying that…but go.”

If Sehun thought that having Jongdae with him would make things immediately easier, he was wrong.

“Right at the next light,” Baekhyun said. 

“No?” Jongdae’s voice crackled in Sehun’s ear as he whooshed through the city. Sehun hesitated and kept running straight, missing Baekhyun’s direction. “That’s not the fastest way to go. He has to turn left at the next light.” 

Sehun turned left, prepared to listen to the next direction.

“Fine,” Baekhyun said, “Right.”

“No, left?” Jongdae said.

“Right, Jongdae. Like…you know how I’m always right? It’s right,” Baekhyun argued.

“ _Guys_ ,” Sehun said, continuing to run straight since he didn’t want to slow down and show the world his ugly ass suit, “Which way? One of you navigate or I’ll never get there in time.”

“Rock paper scissors?”

“Rock paper scissors.”

A few seconds later, Baekhyun cheerfully told him to take two turns and a left as he passed by some lights as Jongdae grumbled in his ear.

Seconds later, Sehun arrived at the jewelry store. The windows were still intact, so the robbers must not have used force to enter. Yet. But after breezing through the door, the jewel thieves were nowhere to be seen.

“Did we miss them?” Sehun said, ducking behind the counter, “That was fast.”

“They’re probably after the diamonds,” Jongdae said, “check the back vault.”

Sehun hugged the walls as he crept closer. Sure enough, the vault was located in the back of the store, but its door was wide open. He dove behind a stack of boxes, peeking out to find two robbers stuffing trays of diamonds into sacks. The third robber waved some mechanical rod in front of the clerk’s face. Occasionally, little clouds and electricity appeared from the contraption. He remembered Jongdae’s crime scene photos, all his stories, and realized who he was dealing with.

“I think it’s three of Captain Cold’s crew doing this, but she’s not here,” Sehun whispered, “The one with the stick that can manipulate weather is Weather Wizard, right?”

“Get out,” Jongdae said after he sharply inhaled, “Get out, Sehun. Even if she’s not there, her crew is equally dangerous.”

“Go in, Sehun” Baekhyun urged, “you just got here, and I believe you can do it. And can you really take anyone with the name Weather Wizard seriously?”

“There’s still a hostage,” Sehun whispered. Weather Wizard yelled at the rest of the men, urging them to hurry up while he jabbed his little wand at the clerk’s chest. “The police scanner didn’t report the jeweler…they probably led him into the back to make him open the safe.”

Jongdae loudly exhaled.

“Do you want to stay and help?” Jongdae asked.

“Yes,” Sehun immediately said, “If I can help, then I’ll try.”

“Okay,” Jongdae said, “Then hit them hard and fast. Don’t slow down for anyone, and when you want to disarm them, move the gun away from you or any targets because if they struggle…not that they’d have time to…it could go off and injure someone unintentionally. Then go for their legs. Don’t play nice. Kick them in sensitive areas if you have to.” 

“Got it,” Sehun said. In theory. He took a deep breath, felt the electricity crackle through his body, and he leapt up, quickly racing around the robbers before they had any time to finish taking their next breath. He struck their arms, pushing them upwards before wrenching the guns and the wand out of their grasps. He still had time to move the hostage out to the front of the store before he moved back, found some rope, tied the robbers up, and slammed the vault shut on them.

When he raced out of the store, he didn’t see the jeweler blink confusedly as she looked around, unsure of how she got there. He also didn’t hear the robbers pounding on the door, demanding to be let out. He also didn’t catch the police car arriving two minutes later, confused to find nothing to do except arrest the robbers and push them into the backs of their cruiser.

What he did see was Baekhyun’s excited fist pump after Sehun returned home, collapsing on the ground, breathless from all that running. A familiar grin before Jongdae hugged him and checked his body for any possible injuries. But there was nothing etched onto his skin, no purple bruises, no bleeding gashes, no serious wounds. There was only love staining his heart, and a sudden, inexplicable feeling of warmth that spread through his chest as he felt his friends pull back his hood. He didn’t have the energy to change out of his suit and lay on the floor like that. It felt less uncomfortable, and he had almost grown used to it by now.

And the headline, moments later, reported by Sunyoung.

 

 

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY ENDS WITH 3 ARRESTS. 0 LOSSES. 0 FATALITIES.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

Sehun was not sure he’d be able to save every single person every single time, but he would try his best always. And so far, he hadn’t lost anyone yet. He had saved everyone from the other criminals he locked up, and he felt like he was flying when he sprinted across the city. Even when he had nothing to do, no crimes to stop, he  circled around the city, passing through every street just for fun and just in case there were little situations that were not reported to the police.

Sehun also liked preventing small mishaps. He could see someone’s coffee cup beginning to topple, but before it could fall, he’d speed over to casually straighten it out before it could ruin someone’s day.

He hadn’t seen any terrible, horrifying crimes yet as he raced around the city, but he had seen better things when he slowed down enough to catch glimpses of a birthday dinner of some little kid at a big restaurant with all his friends, a flower shop owner give a red rose to the tattoo artist who stopped by to say hello from the next store over, and a couple laughing as they held hands and walked through the city.

This was the Central City he believed in.

This was the Central City he loved. 

But even after all the work he had to do in the office, all the fatalities he prevented, he still had the time to curl up with Jongdae on lazy Sundays, go out for brunch with Joohyun, and watch Baekhyun play his video games and stifle his laughter when he lost a few times in a row.

Sehun found a new rhythm now, a new routine, and he was happy that he could help, happy he could love. His heart still pounded against his chest every time he ran from the adrenaline and the fear. But luckily, he hadn’t had to face many overly dangerous situations yet. The most he’d ever dealt with were always armed robberies. But that was all. No one had died yet, and he wanted to keep it that way.

After a few more quick saves, Baekhyun called Sehun the city’s hero, Jongdae called him a guardian angel, and both agreed that he needed a name.

“All great heroes have iconic names,” Baekhyun said as they were eating dinner together, just the three of them. He took a large bite of his pizza and talked with his mouth full, mumbling his words. “And you’re an icon, Sehun. A whole legend in making.” 

“I’m just doing my best,” Sehun said, taking a smaller bite of his pizza as he slumped against the couch, “I don’t know what’s so great about that.” 

“What if the news catches you, and they ask who you are? And when you don’t have a name, what if they’ll give you one you don’t even like?” Jongdae asked. 

Sehun sighed. 

“I mean…I guess I need an alias to protect my identity, but what?” Sehun asked, “I have nothing.” 

“Twinkle Toes,” Baekhyun said.

“That’s awful,” Jongdae said as he snatched up another slice from the pizza box.

“Are you purposely trying to make these terrible on purpose?” Sehun asked. 

“No, but could you imagine? What if the newspaper nicknamed you Twinky Winky,” Baekhyun grinned before consuming half of his pizza slice in one bite.

Sehun and Jongdae exchanged a look before laughter bubbled up in their chests and they burst out laughing. Jongdae clapped his hands together as he bent over, his loud laughter echoing around the room and reverberating in Sehun’s heart. Sehun leaned back, placing his hands behind his head as he gazed at Jongdae and Baekhyun. As he fondly stared, trying to memorize this exact moment, a smile spread across his face. 

But a loud beep interrupted the pleasant mood, causing Sehun to race ahead to the spare bedroom to check what it was. Baekhyun ran after him, Jongdae closely following on his heels, and after he typed in all the passwords and waived the security system, his expression fell once he scanned the update. 

“There’s a large fire blazing through an apartment building on the west side of the city,” Baekhyun said, reading the news out loud, “the building’s expected to go down, evacuations are slow, and there’s still people trapped on the upper floors.” 

“Where is it?” Sehun asked, taking a deep breath. He thought too hard about rushing into a whole fire and felt light-headed, having to grab the edge of the desk to steady himself. 

“No,” Jongdae said, a little louder, his voice a little more strained, “Sehun, you _can’t_. What if you get burnt? What if you inhale enough smoke and pass out? What if the building collapses on you? What if you…die?”

Sehun paused, letting Jongdae grasp his shoulders as he continued to plead with him. Who had he become? Where was the writer that would’ve had to think and rethink and overthink running into a burning building? With a shiver, he hadn’t realized how quickly he had volunteered himself until now.

“Jongdae,” Sehun said, a little softer, placing his hands on top of Jongdae’s and pulling them off of his shoulders before he held them tightly. “I don’t know what will happen, if I’ll be hurt, or if the building will collapse on me. But what I do know is that people might die tonight, and if I can stop that from happening, then I’ll try.”

But Sehun hesitated when he saw Jongdae’s bottom lip tremble. He hesitated when Jongdae’s eyebrows knitted upwards, when Jongdae took in a shaky breath, and when he spoke. His voice sounded so small, so soft, so shaky, so unlike his normal self.

“Sehun,” Jongdae said, his voice barely a whisper, “I’ve already lost so much. I can’t lose you, too.” 

“You won’t,” Sehun said, pressing a kiss on Jongdae’s forehead, “I always come back to you, remember?”

With that, Jongdae nodded rapidly, squeezing Sehun’s hands tighter before he finally let go. If Sehun continued looking at Jongdae like this, then he’d never be able to leave, so he turned away, turned to Baekhyun.

“Suit?” he asked.

Baekhyun’s eyes lit up, and a grin spread across his face. After he typed in a series of passcodes to unlock the closet and threw it open, Sehun gasped as soon he saw. 

“I improved it,” Baekhyun announced, “With some of Jongdae’s input. We were going to surprise you later, but…” 

“It’s amazing,” Sehun said, reaching forwards to touch the suit.

“The lightning bolts were Jongdae’s idea,” Baekhyun said. 

“Of course,” Sehun smiled, “of course they were.” 

He took a step back and admired the suit properly. No longer was it made of a blindingly red, spandex passing material, but rather a thicker, scarlet material, almost leather-like. Two lightning bolts adorned the sides of the belt. 

“I put the comms on the external side of your cowl so you won’t have to keep putting them in and out of your ear,” Baekhyun said, tapping the cowl of the suit with a finger, “and Jongdae stylized them with little lightning bolts. Look how they stick out…aren’t they cute?”

“Very,” Sehun said, staring at the yellow bolts protruding from the sides of the cowl before touching the center of the suit. A white circle was placed in the middle of the chest, and a bigger, golden lightning bolt rested on top of it, its tails slightly protruding from the circle. “So this is my emblem.”

“Do you like it?” Jongdae asked, “It’s more durable, and better than your last. We can always change it if you want to fix anything or—”

“I love it,” Sehun smiled, and he changed into the outfit more eagerly than he had ever done so before, finishing before his clothes could even fall on the floor. 

Baekhyun and Jongdae stared for a second before Baekhyun nodded in approval and started clapping. Jongdae’s gaze had softened, and he sighed, his shoulders relaxing for a moment.

“You keep swearing you’re not a hero,” Baekhyun said, jabbing a finger in Sehun’s direction, “but if you could see yourself now, Sehun.”

“There’s no time for that,” Sehun said, only bending his neck down to look at his hands and his feet. “Just tell me where to go.” 

Baekhyun nodded and hurried back to his screens. Jongdae hugged his shoulders as he leaned on the wall, wearily staring into nowhere. When he caught Sehun’s gaze, he nodded once and let the edges of his lips slightly curl. The smile didn’t reach his eyes, but that had to be enough for Sehun.

“I’ll come back,” Sehun promised.

And off he dashed. He felt better in this suit, and this time, knowing the urgency of the situation or perhaps because he was too anxious, Jongdae fell back and let Baekhyun guide Sehun through the city without complaint. Seconds later, Sehun skidded to a halt in front of a tall, burning building. 

“What floors are the people trapped on?” Sehun asked. It would have been easy to become distracted as he stared at the flames that seemed taller than the building itself, the flames that snaked through the windows as gray smoke billowed in the air, the flames that tore the night sky apart. People screamed as they ran outside the building, all still dressed in their pajamas. He could hear fire trucks in the distance, but would they be here fast enough? 

“The top five floors,” Baekhyun said.

“Got it,” Sehun said. He took a deep breath, and then he was gone, charging straight into the smoke, the fire. 

Once he reached the sixth floor, he saw people staggering into the hallway, one hand placed over their mouth, another hand grabbing at loved ones. He wasn’t strong enough to carry more than one person, so he dug his heels into the ground, grabbed one person, and tore down all the stairs before leaving them by the front door, safe enough from the fire.

He went back for each person, not having the time to think of being tired, think of the smoke, think of the way it was becoming harder to breathe as he grabbed person after person. His heart thudded violently in his chest, and for once, he didn’t even have time to be afraid, the urgent need to get everyone out overpowering any fear. And after clearing out four out of the five floors, he suddenly stopped to breathe. He was just about to climb up the stairs to the next floor before Baekhyun spoke.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said a little softer, so softly that Sehun had to stop, press a finger to one of the lightning bolts on his ear to hear better, “I don’t know if it’s possible to save everyone. I’m hearing so much stuff on the scanners. The firefighters don’t think the building is going to stay standing.”

“I have to try,” Sehun said, and in and out he ran of the rooms, pulling different people from the fires and running them down all the stairs again and again and again. In room 1005 he saved a little girl crying for her mom. In room 2032 he saved someone who was still sleeping, deaf to all the screams and fire. In room 2037 he saved someone choking on the flames, stumbling to their knees. 

Sehun was running as fast as he could, but his lungs could not keep up with him, especially after inhaling so much smoke. He coughed every now and then, but he needed to clear the last few rooms of people out before the structure of the building continued to deteriorate. He was forced to jump over a piece of the ceiling that had crashed to the floor, sending cinders flying everywhere.

“If that building collapses, the debris is going to hit the people below,” Sehun shouted after he finished setting down a little boy outside before racing back up the stairs and into the next room, “Where is the fire department?” 

“They’re setting up on the ground. I can’t believe they’re this slow,” Jongdae said. Sehun was surprised Jongdae sounded this calm.

“What are you going to do?” Put out the flames?” Baekhyun asked.

“I don’t know, Baekhyun,” Sehun said, taking a break to breathe cleaner air outside the building after he finished setting the last person down. The fire was still raging above, the hellish inferno ripping up the stillness of the sky. “You’re the one who’s supposed to tell me what to do. I’m the feet, you’re the brain. How do I put out the flames?”

Suddenly a large explosion sounded, sending the glass of all the windows shattering, large clouds of fire escaping from the sides of the building. Sehun moved the little boy further away to escape the flying shards.

“Sehun?” Jongdae frantically said, his voice cracking, “Are you okay?”

“The building’s going to come down,” Sehun grimly said, noticing the way the walls started cracking, remembering how the ceiling had already begun to collapse. “A fire that size will spread to the other buildings in the surrounding area. I can’t just leave now.”

“ _No_ ,” Jongdae finally shouted, “Just stop…You’ve already saved those people. Go home, Sehun. What if you die?”

Sehun paused, and though his legs were a little shaky and it was getting harder and harder to breathe, he knew what he had to do.

“I have to try, Jongdae,” Sehun said, hearing the crowd scream behind him, “I’m already here, and I can’t just let more people die.”

With that, he sprinted back into the building, back into the smoky stairs, back into the fire. As he ran, he heard Jongdae’s voice through the comms.

“But they’re not _you_ ,” Jongdae hysterically said, “I can’t lose you…Come back here. _Please._ ”

Sehun finally stopped in the middle of a floor, noticing that the cracks and the stress in the walls were the worst here. A support beam had fallen down, and if he didn’t act soon, the fires would collapse the whole building.

“Baekhyun, how do I put out this fire?” Sehun asked. If he listened to Jongdae anymore, he might actually leave.

The fire rumbled, beams continuing to sink from the ceiling with a groan. He tried his best to avoid breathing too deeply, but it was impossible since he was winded from all the running. After inhaling too much smoke, he started coughing. “As long as the fire is out when the building collapses, then it shouldn’t spread elsewhere.”

“I’ve got it,” Baekhyun said, “Make a whirlwind with your hands. Suck the oxygen out to stop the fire.”

Sehun didn’t know how that would help, but he wasn’t the one with the science degree, so he raised his arms out, prepared to try whatever the fuck Baekhyun had just described.

“Sehun, do it for me,” Jongdae said, sounding like he was speaking through tears, “ _Please_.” 

“I’m sorry, Jongdae,” Sehun shouted as he began twisting his arms as fast as he could, “I’m doing this so no one will have to lose as much as you did, so no one will have a bleak future to look towards.”

Somehow he wasn’t worried in this moment. Beakhyun’s plan seemed to be working, and after a few seconds, the fires were all extinguished. Sehun moved from floor to floor, repeating the same action before every fire was smothered out. But the building had been too severely damaged that the ceilings continued to crumble and the cracks in the wall deepened. 

“Get out of there,” Baekhyun shouted, “Go now.”

Sehun didn’t have to be told twice and raced down the stairs. But twenty floors were still twenty floors. Smoke was still smoke. The damage to Sehun’s lungs had been done, and after running so hard for so long, he began to slow down.

There were some things he couldn’t outrun.

Time.

Fear.

Death.

And now, he realized, this. 

It was funny.

Sehun sometimes thought of his last words whenever he worked these missions. Sometimes, it was I love you, Jongdae. Other times it was I’m sorry, Jongdae. But in this moment meters away from the front doors of the building, he only had time to duck, lift his hands over his head, and brace himself as tons and tons of cement and ashy debris collapsed on top of him. 

“Sehun?”

“Sehun?”

“… _Sehun?_ ”

It was the sound of a loud sob crackling through his comms that caused Sehun’s eyes to fly open. He gasped, gaze darting wildly around him before his mind finally registered that his body was in between a whole steel beam. When had he been impaled? He hadn’t felt anything but the lurch in his chest in the very last seconds. He patted himself all over, not finding any blood, not finding anything that hurt before gasping as he realized. 

“Hey…I…I think I’m vibrating so fast that I can phase through objects,” Sehun said, finding his hands looking exactly like they looked when he had first awoken from the coma. 

More tears. 

“What?” 

A gasp.

“Oh my god that’s so fucking cool.”           

A shaky voice.

“Sehun, are you _okay_?” 

Sehun didn’t know exactly how he was doing it, but he hoped his body wouldn’t suddenly stop. He continued wading through the steel until he was free of the beam. There was more debris blocking the way to the exit, so Sehun kept going, gritting his teeth as he walked straight through solid cement before finally stumbling out of the front doors. He bent over, leaning on his knees that were solid again as he gasped for ragged, deep breaths of fresh air. 

“Yeah,” Sehun said before coughing, “I’m alive.” 

He heard Jongdae let out a long, relieved exhale, Baekhyun excitedly yelling, and—

“Excuse me?” a familiar voice said, “Are you the one who saved everyone from this fire?”

Sehun turned at the sound of the voice and tried to remember how he had phased before. This time, he only vibrated his face to conceal his identity. Before him stood Park Sunyoung, reporter, pointing a mic at his face while her camera crew silently stood behind her.

“Yeah,” Sehun said in a small voice before letting out a loud cough. He had forgotten his voice was still recognizable to those who knew him and tried vibrating his throat to distort his voice. Somehow it worked. “I did.”

“Witnesses that you saved report that they were struggling to reach the exits before they somehow found themselves outside in a blink of an eye. How did you do that?” Sunyoung asked before pointing the mic at Sehun.

“I…” Sehun said, placing his hands on his hips as he slightly bent his head down to reach the mic. He paused to collect his thoughts and listened to the chatter on his comms. 

“Baekhyun, are you _seeing_ this? My boyfriend’s on TV wow…I’m so proud.”

“ _Bro._ You’re on _TV_.”

“I have super speed,” he smiled shyly. He couldn’t look at the camera, so he just looked at the mic.

“Like a superhero?” Sunyoung said, her eyes widening, “Does Central City have its very own Superman now?”

“I’m not like Superman,” Sehun said. Sunyoung brought the mic closer because he was speaking so softly.

“Yeah. Because you’re better.”

“Superman’s suit is not as cool as the one I made for you obviously.”

“Either way, are you here to stay? To protect Central City?” Sunyoung asked. There was a certain look in her eye that Sehun couldn’t quite recognize, but it looked similar to the one that Jongdae and Baekhyun gave him whenever he came home after a mission victorious, and now more recently when he first tried on this new suit.

“I have been. And I will try my best,” Sehun said, a little louder. 

He started this for Baekhyun, continued it for Jongdae, but now, this…This, he’d do for himself because he wanted to. 

“What should we call you? What’s your name?” Sunyoung smiled, stepping back to admire Sehun, “Something with Thunder? Lightning? Your suit’s very cute.”

“Oh!” Sehun said before letting out a small laugh, “One second. I’ll be right back before you know it.”

He never needed any directions to tell him how to go home, so in a second, he appeared in Baekhyun’s apartment, standing before them, soot still dusting his body. Before he had any time to speak, he felt Jongdae barrel into him and sob into his chest, ashy suit and all.

“You could’ve _died_ ,” he said, squeezing Sehun tightly. 

“Hey, it’s all good,” Sehun said, hugging Jongdae back so tightly that they swayed on the spot, “I’m still here. I still came back.” 

Jongdae looked up at him, and even though his eyes were puffy from his tears, Sehun watched stars dance in Jongdae’s gaze and felt his breath snatched away, this time not by the smoke, but by something better. Brighter.           

“I’m proud of you,” he said with a smile.

“Your lungs are probably all fucked up…But good job my guy,” Baekhyun grinned before he launched himself into Sehun’s arms and hugged him, too. 

“I’m keeping Sunyoung waiting,” Sehun said a second after Baekhyun released him, “What should I say? I can’t screw this up…If I say a terrible name, then that’s my name forever.” 

As Jongdae and Baekhyun stepped back, Sehun slowly turned on the spot, trying to give them inspiration.           

“I still have nothing, so why don’t you name me, Jongdae? Sehun asked. He didn’t trust Baekhyun’s names. “What should I be? Who should I be?” 

“Blink,” Baekhyun called out.

Sehun made a face before focusing on Jongdae. Jongdae stood, crossing his arms, gazing at Sehun intently. 

“Blinky Winky,” Baekhyun said with a laugh. 

“Absolutely not,” Sehun shot him down.

“Speedy,” Baekhyun said.

“He already exists,” Sehun said, frowning at Baekhyun.

“Zoom?” Baekhyun said, “Vroom Vroom?”

“Oh, I’ve got it,” Jongdae snapped his fingers together.

Relieved, Sehun turned his attention to him. Jongdae stepped closer, tilted his head upwards, and continued to gaze at Sehun. It wasn’t the dangerous, toxic fires of the building, but a bright, burning flame in his heart that kept him warm whenever Sehun gazed at Jongdae. He gripped Jongdae’s arms and smiled. 

“You are going to inspire so many people,” Jongdae insisted, “I know it. You already do, but it’s time for the world to see what I see. The best person with the biggest heart. You need a name that’ll make people feel safe just at the sound of it when they’re afraid.”

“Any name is fine if it’s from you. Really,” Sehun said, “As long as you don’t take some of Baekhyun’s suggestions.”           

Jongdae then fell silent for a second more before nodding. And really, Sehun never could objectively know if the name was good or bad because it was Jongdae’s name for him, and anything Jongdae did or said was always beautiful, so beautiful to him. So when Jongdae spoke, he instantly agreed. This was who he would be. With the name in his head, Sehun kissed Jongdae and hugged Baekhyun before speeding back to the scene. 

“Well, that was quick!” Sunyoung said, her hair flying forwards as he stopped right next to her. “Your power…it’s amazing!”

“It’s nothing,” Sehun shrugged, “It’s only super speed. It’s not like I can bring people back from the dead or heal people with just a touch, right?”           

“Still!” Sunyoung said, staring at him with wide eyes, “You’re proof that the impossible is possible, and out of everything you could’ve used your speed for, you’ve decided to help the city. Do you have a name? What should we call you?” 

Sehun stared out across the space, finding the people who he had evacuated all scared, but all safe. Ash and soot were smeared across their faces, but he couldn’t spot a single person with life threatening injuries. Soon, they broke out into applause, a chorus of _thank you_ ’s echoing into the night. Sehun didn’t think he had done anything that someone else with his powers wouldn’t have done, but he still smiled before he leaned into the mic and spoke his name to his city for the first time. 

“The Flash.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Metropolis had their own hero, Gotham their vigilante, but now it was time for Central City to have their own guardian. News traveled fast, almost faster than lightning, and within what seemed like a blink of an eye, some people already started their own Flash fan clubs. Other people wanted to wait and see if the Flash was actually helpful or not. Some policeman even grumbled that the Flash should leave crime prevention to them or they’d be out of work. But all agreed that the city felt safer with their scarlet speedster around.

By now, nearly a month after that fire, it was clear that the Flash was here to stay, and there was not a single person in the city who failed to understand who caused a sudden gust of wind to appear out of nowhere, who was the red streak that raced passed them, electricity crackling in their midst, and who was the one to thank after news anchors reported crimes and disasters averted without any casualties. 

If the people had begun to anticipate the Flash, then Sehun would be there more often for them. Mornings weren’t for slowly ambling around the city anymore. Mornings were now for patrolling the city in case anyone needed help. If Sehun had the time, then why not?

On such a morning, Sehun had seven minutes to get to work without being late, but he could run there in a second, so he took his time to do another lap around the city. So far, it was just an average, lazy morning. 

And on these mornings, it was impossible for Sehun to run without grinning, to run without feeling his heart full. This was the city he loved, the people he could not disappoint. Sure, there were robbers here and there, nasty people everywhere. But he believed in the good of this city even after all the stories Jongdae told him about his forensic cases.

“Hey, that’s the Flash!” someone called out as Sehun zoomed by them.

“Hi, Flash!” a little girl shouted, tugging against her mom’s hand to wave at him. Sehun zoomed back for a second to wave and smile before dashing off.

On the next street over, Sehun saw Yeri going for a morning jog and wondered if she had made it to the state championships like she told him nearly a year ago. He slowed down and circled around her.

“Hey, one day I’ll be faster than you,” she called out with a laugh. Sehun turned to see her wave before running off.

There was still a couple of minutes before his work day started, so after saving a texting biker from almost getting hit by a car, Sehun zipped to Jitter’s, lucky that today’s line was shorter than usual. 

“Hello, Soojung,” Sehun smiled when it was his turn at the counter. But his smile drooped when he noticed the dark circles around Soojung’s eyes.

“Sehun,” Soojung said. This morning, she could not even manage a small smile when she saw him, so Sehun knew something was wrong. “What will it be?”

“Are you okay?” Sehun said, softening the tone of his voice, “You look really tired.”

Soojung lowered her gaze to the cash register, avoiding Sehun’s eyes as she picked up a cup and scribbled his name across it in big bold letters.

“Of course,” Soojung said, “I am. Same thing, right?”

“Yes,” Sehun said, reaching out to give her his card. He wanted to ask because she didn’t look fine, but if she wouldn’t tell him, then he wouldn’t pry. Maybe work had been stressful lately.

Sehun didn’t have the time to worry about her for much longer because work offered him a much bigger problem.

Instead of escaping into his office to write the hours away with Joohyun, Sehun was forced to attend a meeting. Here, anyone could pose questions or concerns they had, new ideas for columns, and other work related issues.

Sehun and Joohyun had no problems talking with each other, but whenever Qian asked if anyone had anything to say, both of them stayed silent and tried to avoid any eye contact. If Joohyun or Sehun actually had something to contribute, one would encourage the other to speak or say it for them. Other than that, they kept their mouths shut. Some of their other co-workers always told them they were obligated to speak because they were at work. But Sehun didn't recall getting paid to talk. He was just a writer, Joohyun just an editor, and if Qian had any complaints about their silence, he never heard them.

After nearly an hour of the meeting, Qian announced her last agenda for today: new columns. She threw out a few ideas like reviving the advice column they had taken out years ago and adding a weekly recipe. Her final idea made Sehun sink lower into his chair.

“The Flash,” Qian announced.

Sehun scribbled in the margins of his notebook and tried to act normal before wondering if his normal was too noticeably not normal. It was hard to pretend like he had no idea who the Flash was, but he could always try. It was highly unlikely that anyone would actually be able to tell that he was the Flash just by looking at the carefully blank expression on his face, but Sehun took no risks and refused to look up.

“Obviously, he is becoming an important part of the city,” Qian said, “We’ve previously had various journalists take turns writing about him, but that has to change. We should have just one Flash expert so articles about him can stay consistently written.” 

A Flash specialist?

Sehun still didn’t really know what he was doing out there every time he put on his suit, so how was anyone else supposed to know?

“Can someone who previously wrote an article about the Flash take this position?” one of his co-workers asked. 

“Yes,” Qian said, “Even those who have never written about the Flash.”

Sehun noticed the subtle twitch of Joohyun’s eyebrow, realized she was interested, and tried to summon the courage to volunteer her before someone else did.

“Sehun,” Qian said, just as Sehun was about to open his mouth, “What about you?”

“Me?” Sehun said, jabbing at himself as he quickly straightened up, “Oh, I don’t know if I’m the best for that.” 

“I know you’re still doing your column, but since Jongdae works with the police, it would be easier for you to access information and police reports about the Flash,” Qian nodded. She typed something on the laptop she had placed on the lectern. Hopefully it wasn’t his name next to this…Flash specialist.

“ _Me_?” Sehun asked, trying to maintain a neutral expression.

“Yes. Is that a problem?” Qian said, looking up from her laptop, “Are you one of the only people in this city who doesn’t already love the Flash?”

“Already love?” Sehun blinked, “People love the Flash?”

The whole room laughed.

“Okay, I understand you’ve been asleep for a while, but the Flash is here right now, and he’s been protecting the city. Why don’t you do some research and write about him? It’ll be good project for you,” Qian said, “Every time the Flash stops a crime or is even sighted, report it. Start now.”

He had to…write about himself? For a second, Sehun was tempted to patrol only when the city was in dire need so he wouldn’t have to write more about himself.

On the way back to his office, Sehun was too busy thinking of this situation that he didn’t notice the sullen silence that had fallen between him and Joohyun. 

He sat at his desk moments later, pausing for a whole minute, not sure what to do.

Research. Qian said research. He didn’t have to write just yet. After a quick search on the internet, Sehun realized he hadn’t been as subtle as he had thought. 

_Earliest sightings of the Flash?_

_The Flash Fan Club Sign-Ups_

_The Flash saves the day! Again!_

Sehun sat at his desk, staring at the screen. It had only been a little over a month since the fire, but people were already talking about him like this? He still didn’t feel like a hero, and he still didn’t even know how to properly disarm someone. 

After half an hour more of this research, Sehun opened a blank document and placed his hands over the keyboard. He watched the cursor blink, and he had nothing.

It would be a challenge to control how much insight he could give. There were details that only he would know since he was…there, so anything too detailed would give him away. Like how he knew exactly what the robber said before he shot his gun. Like how many times the robber swore when he realized that was futile. Like how the cut on his face had disappeared in seconds because he could heal quickly. This was a recent discovery, learned after Jongdae and Baekhyun had examined Sehun’s lungs an hour after the fire and found them perfectly fine. 

But anything not so detailed would mark him as an awful writer who didn’t care about his job. After texting Jongdae and Baekhyun that he didn’t know what to write, he received two answers back in less than thirty seconds. Perhaps it was a slow workday. Perhaps there was no crime at all to process. 

Baekhyun responded first, and while Sehun appreciated his words, there was absolutely no way he could quote him in this article.

_the flash is the most amazing, most incredible, hottest superhero in the whole universe, so mr. superman better watch tf out (if you direct quote me keep my name as mr. bbh i don’t want supes to come after me all the way from metropolis lmao could you imagine)_

Jongdae’s response was kinder, but Sehun still couldn’t bring himself to echo his sentiments in the whole article. 

_The Flash is obviously what this city needs. He is full of not only courage, but also heart. It is not his speed that powers him to be the hero he is, but rather his deep compassion and selfless desire to help others. (can’t believe my boyfriend is the best wow proud of you angel) :3_

Sehun sighed and switched off his phone. 

“Joohyun?” he asked.

“Yes?” she said, looking up from her screen.

“If you were writing this article, what would you say about the Flash? I have nothing,” Sehun said.

Joohyun paused, took a sip of her coffee before she leaned forwards and answered.

“I don’t know much since it’s only been a month,” Joohyun said, adjusting her glasses, “but I do know that he was given an extraordinary gift, and instead of using it to harm others, to easily commit more crimes, he helped. He helped the city probably at his own expense, and he’s got a good heart.”

“Thanks,” Sehun said, leaning on his elbow as he stared at his computer. But he couldn’t write that either.

During the next hour, Sehun wrote and deleted a tentative opening again and again and again before realizing it was useless to keep trying. Maybe it would be easier if he started at the end. He thought for a moment before slowly typing out not any police facts, not the amount of people saved, but the truth. 

 _He’s trying his best_.

Sehun sighed and leaned forwards in his chair, trying to write the rest. With the help of the police report, Sehun paraphrased the events of the latest thwarted robbery he had stopped. This part, he could write effortlessly because could just report the facts. This happened. The Flash arrived in seconds. The Flash disarmed the robbers. Their guns were found on the floor when the police arrived. Yes.

But Sehun doubted Qian wanted a dry, analytical report about the Flash. She wanted a thrilling article designed to steadily increase viewership.

She always said that the best nonfiction writing read like a fiction story and that all good pieces of writing left the audience feeling something, anything at all. But the only feeling that was threatening to escape Sehun’s mouth after barely struggling through a very rough first draft, was _fuck_.

After refusing to look at it anymore, Sehun decided it was time to ask someone to tell him if it was as terrible as he thought.

“I didn’t send this to the copy editor yet, but can you please take a first look?” Sehun asked, passing his laptop over his desk.

“Of course,” Joohyun said, dropping her green pen to take Sehun’s computer. He watched her expression as she scanned through the document and knew he was in trouble when her eyebrows continued furrowing deeper and deeper.

“Sehun,” she said as she handed it back before taking off her glasses and cleaning the lenses with a cloth. 

“I know it’s bad,” Sehun sighed, “I just don’t know what to write.”

“Yeah you can do better,” Joohyun nodded, “I’ve seen you do better, and I know you can do better.”

Sehun nodded and deleted everything. Usually he preferred to rewrite rather than discard whole drafts, but not this time. Not when he had no idea how to write a version of himself that everyone but himself in this city saw.

“Show me your next draft when you’re done,” Joohyun said, “but don’t be discouraged. Keep writing, and I’m sure you’ll end up with an article that’ll be as amazing as all your other ones. Just write with your heart, like you usually do. Stay away from too much statistics.” 

“Thanks Joohyun,” Sehun sighed.

So he tried again. But he doubted writing with more sentiment was any better because his article began to sound more like this.

The Flash arrived, but what if he could have come here faster? The Flash disarmed the robbers, but he was obviously lacking in technical skill…

Sehun looked up from his screen without even finishing his sentence, reminded of something he had wanted to ask Joohyun for a while now.

“Hey if Seulgi is free anytime soon,” Sehun said, “do you think she can teach me some self defense tactics? Like specifically how to disarm someone if…they have a gun?”

Seulgi was a test pilot for the Air Force, and if she were here all the time instead of up in the sky, there was no doubt Sehun wouldn’t even have to lift a single foot since she would destroy all those criminals in a second.

“Why?” Joohyun asked, glancing up from the stack of papers on her desk. Her expression immediately brightened at the mention of her wife. “If the Flash is around, I’m sure the city is even safer, right?”

“Just in case,” Sehun tried to sound as casual as possible, “you never know. If he’s busy with a robbery, then what if I get mugged or something.”

“I’m sure he has the time to dash back and forth,” Joohyun said, “But are you sure? You might die if she teaches you. Are you okay with that?” 

Sehun swallowed.

“Well she’s the best teacher, right?” Sehun asked, “Then I’ll learn from her no matter how many times I might get beat up.” 

He needed to learn how to properly fight to help the city, so if it involved dying by Seulgi’s hand as she taught him, then so be it.

“Alright,” Joohyun smiled, “I’ll ask. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when you can’t even walk, let alone run.” 

Sehun shifted in his seat, not liking how he had lied to her, how he had been lying to her. After a few moments of squirming, he made an impulsive decision and opened his mouth. 

“Hey Joohyun?” Sehun said. His pulse quickened for a second, and he rubbed the palms of his hands on his pants before taking a deep breath. “I didn’t tell you this before, but I’m the F—”

Before he could even finish the word, Joohyun had suddenly received a text that caused her to smile and to close her laptop.

“Sorry, what did you say?” Joohyun said, pushing her laptop into her bag, “I’m off now. Seulgi’s picking me up and taking me for an evening flight around the city.” 

“Never mind,” Sehun said, relaxing slightly, “but that sounds wonderful. Have a nice time, alright?” 

“Thank you. Good night, Sehun,” Joohyun smiled. She was in a better mood than before, no doubt, and even hugged him before she left.

Sehun stared at his screen for another minute before saving his work and packing up for the day. There was no use in trying to write an article that refused to write itself, and he also wanted to come back to Jongdae anyways. 

But as much as he wanted to see Jongdae, Sehun still walked instead of ran, needing to clear his mind after today. As he crossed a street, someone wearing a red shirt with a Flash symbol passed by him. A kid walked near him with his mother loudly wondering where the Flash was.

Sehun didn’t know what was so special about the Flash. Like _sure_ he did save others, but it was the least he could do, and half the time he didn’t even know what he was doing out there. It just so happened things worked out the way they did. It was only a matter of time before he messed up anyways.

But nevertheless, the appearances of other people wearing Flash shirts and chattering about the Flash managed to lift the edges of his lips slightly. He breathed, staring at the streets and the lights, the yellow taxis that sped off to take its passengers off for some nightlife, and people lining up outside of a newly opened restaurant. He’d have to take Jongdae there soon. It had been too long since the last time they had gone out on a date. If he considered three days a long time.

Five minutes away from home, he passed by Jitter’s and saw Soojung still there through the glass mopping up the floors near the back. He wondered why her shifts were so long, why it seemed like she never went home. He was tempted to enter after noticing she still wore that weary expression on her face, wanting to ask her if she was okay. He placed his hand on the door and was just about to push it open before she disappeared in the back. It was always his hesitation. There was no choice to make if Sehun outwaited all his options.

After Sehun checked his watch, he decided enough was enough and finally raced back home, disappearing in the back entrance after a second. After taking the rickety elevator up to their floor and opening their door, he stood stunned, staring at the mess inside their apartment. Papers were strewn all over the floors, folders were littered on the coffee table, and the boxes stacked on the couches made it impossible for anyone to sit.

A large board was placed in the middle of the living room. As Sehun slowly walked deeper inside his apartment, he noticed red string pinned to the board, weaving a large web of connected pictures and news articles. Near the couches, Jongdae was busy rummaging through a box and pulled out another stack of documents. 

Sehun turned on his phone to check the date, hoping he didn’t forget. But when he stared at the calendar, he realized Jongdae must have started early this year.

“Jongdae,” Sehun finally called out, setting his things next to the couch. 

Jongdae stopped what he was doing to turn around and find Sehun. 

“Sehun,” he said with a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping. Sehun quickly strode across the room to hold Jongdae who stood still for a moment before he hugged him back. After another moment, Sehun led him to the couch, rearranging boxes and placing them on the ground so they could sit facing the board. Sehun traced the red string with his eyes, gaze bouncing from picture to picture, news headline to news headline. He was familiar with this case, familiar with the pictures of the dead bodies.

“It’s been over a decade now,” Jongdae said, pressing himself closer to Sehun, “and yet I still haven’t found the second killer.”

“They would be proud of you no matter what,” Sehun said, pressing a kiss to Jongdae’s head as he rubbed his shoulder, “They’re your parents after all.” 

“It’s not fair,” Jongdae said, balling his fist around Sehun’s shirt, “I wanted them to be with me when I took my time to grow up, to enter high school, to go to college. They weren’t there for any of those moments, and they won’t ever be able to see me get married, see their grandchildren, see the son they raised. I grew up that night they were murdered, and I haven’t been able to look back since.” 

“I’m sorry,” Sehun said as Jongdae hid his face in Sehun’s chest. The atmosphere was too somber for Sehun to allow his heart to jolt in his chest at the mention of their future.

“There really was a second killer,” Jongdae said, his voice muffled, “I know what I heard. No matter what anyone else says, someone’s out there walking free for what they did to my parents and me.”

Every year around the time of his parent’s murders, Jongdae sifted through old case files to see what he could’ve missed. He allowed himself this one day to do this before he shelved everything away and tried to live again. Occasionally, he thought he found something new, a new memory, a new piece of evidence, a new witness. But the second murderer was still missing, and his parents were still dead.

“Talk it out if you want to,” Sehun said, hating how Jongdae relived such a traumatic memory every year, every day, every moment like this. Since no one else believed there were two murderers instead of just one, he would believe Jongdae harder, listen to him harder. “I’m here to listen, and I’m here for you. Always.”

He waited for Jongdae to speak. After a while, Jongdae shut his eyes and spoke from memory. 

“My parents had just tucked me into bed,” Jongdae said, “because I was twelve and because I had a test the next day in the morning. They kissed me good night and went downstairs.”

Sehun stared at the pictures of Jongdae’s parents at the top of the board. His mother had the same long eyelashes, his father had those familiar, straight eyebrows, and they were both beautiful. Which was obvious since Jongdae was the most beautiful, and he was their son, always their son.

“A scream and a loud thud woke me up,” Jongdae said, his voice surprisingly still calm. He kept his eyes shut. “And because I was twelve, I was scared and I stayed in my room under the covers. Five minutes passed before I crawled out of bed after hearing a third scream, a third thud. I crept down the stairs and stopped near the middle when I heard two people. Two men talking to each other. Their voices were low, and I could barely catch their conversation. When I thought they were gone after I heard nothing else, I walked down the stairs, and I saw.”

Jongdae didn’t need to finish that sentence, and as he took a shaky breath and paused, Sehun’s gaze flickered to the photos taken at the crime scene. How his mother was spread out on the floor, blood pooling around her body. How his father was found so close to her, hands stretching out to his wife as they both suffered through the last moments of their lives.

“I saw my parents laying on the ground covered in blood, and because I was twelve, I screamed and ran towards them, not knowing any better,” Jongdae said. Now his voice began to waver. Now his breath began to shake. “But really. What else was there to do? Even if that happened now when I’m an adult, is there any other way I would’ve reacted? They’re my parents. They were my parents.”

Jongdae’s voice cracked as he spoke the last few words, and finally, he burst out into loud, angry tears. Sehun held him tighter, letting Jongdae take his time to mourn. After a while, after the tears stopped, nothing more but translucent traces on his skin and scars on his heart, Jongdae continued.

“Then that’s when I saw the first murderer,” Jongdae said, his voice barely a whisper now, “he yelled at me, stormed towards with me with a knife. That’s when I heard the second. _Kill him_ he said. _We can’t have any eyewitnesses_ he said. So I ran.”

Sehun looked at the next picture of a tree with burnt branches and remembered how Jongdae told this part of his past.

“It was raining outside,” Jongdae said, tracing the same shape on Sehun’s arm with his finger, “raining hard, and I ran outside in my pajamas while some man was trying to kill me with the same knife that he used to kill my parents. I wasn’t very fast, so I only made it to the big tree across the street before I tripped. He stood above me, arm raised, and I watched him swing the knife down as I screamed before a large bolt of lighting struck him. He died instantly. Right in front of my eyes. “ 

Sehun remembered this next part of that night well. Jongdae liked to tell it under better circumstances, and separated from the previous context, it was a good story.

“I probably stared at that dead body for a whole minute before the next bolt of lightning tore the sky apart and had me racing away,” Jongdae said, “I didn’t go back inside my house because I didn’t want to see, didn’t want to remember what had just happened. So when I saw the light in the horizon, I followed it, running wherever it took me.” 

“I can’t believe you ran for twenty whole minutes in pouring rain,” Sehun said, “you were a strong kid. You’re a strong man.”

He looked down, saw the edges of Jongdae’s lips slightly lift, and relaxed.

“When I couldn’t run anymore, I stopped, looked around, and realized I had somehow went to the street where my aunt lived. I was about to find her house before I saw a little boy staring outside a window. He disappeared a moment later and opened the front door of his house. I followed him inside.”

“I can’t believe after all that you just went into some stranger’s house so easily,” Sehun said with a slight laugh.

“I knew,” Jongdae said, “I knew I could trust him. And I followed him inside where he gave me a blanket and fetched some clothes. He was smaller than me, so they didn’t quite fit, but it was the thought that counted. The heart that mattered. He never said anything, not a single word to me at first. His parents must’ve been asleep upstairs because he was so quiet. But he gave me some milk, and when I sat on the couch, him right next to me, that’s when I cried.” 

“What did that kid do?” Sehun asked even though he knew, he already knew, “How did he react?” 

Jongdae finally opened his eyes, staring up at Sehun for a moment before he continued to speak.

“Even though he was so much smaller, he let me cry into his lap as he stroked my hair and patted my back with his tiny hands,” Jongdae said. There were tear tracks around his cheeks, his eyes were swollen, but Sehun still felt his breath taken away. Jongdae always had that effect on him. “You always did have the biggest heart, Sehun.” 

Sehun smiled. He wished they could have met under better circumstances, but Jongdae always said the lightning gave him vengeance and gave him his life back. It led him straight to Sehun, to the rest of his life even when he thought it had just ended.

“I was staring out the window because I couldn’t go to bed,” Sehun said, his turn to remember now, “My parents were asleep because they worked early in the mornings, so I did that often. I was watching the rain and the water drain away in the storm, waiting to feel tired enough to try and sleep again. The lightning scared me, so when I saw your shivering self standing outside, I knew I had to go to you. I knew I had to let you in.”

“And look where we are today,” Jongdae said. He skipped the rest of the story, letting it end here. But Sehun knew the rest. He knew how Jongdae’s neighbor had called the police when he saw the front door of Jongdae’s house open and a dead body across the street. He knew how Dr. Lee, back then just a young forensics intern, and the police were the first responders, how Dr. Lee had tried to save Jongdae’s parents by attempting to give them CPR. But what was there left to save when there was nothing left? Not even a single heartbeat, a trace of warmth? What was there to do when they only found evidence of one killer though Jongdae swore there were two? 

But Sehun didn’t want to focus on that. He preferred remembering that Jongdae had moved right across his street to live with his aunt after everything. He remembered them seeing each other, spending time with each other every day of their lives after that, going to school together, growing up together. He remembered the exact day when Jongdae realized he was no longer the tallest one in their relationship, the exact day when they met Baekhyun in high school, the exact day they first kissed. Sehun would have loved to have known Jongdae since he was born because he was not there for Jongdae’s early childhood, was not there when his parents were alive. But after they found each other, there was nothing more he missed.

“You know,” Sehun said all of the sudden, “I say this all the time, but I think I always loved you even if I wasn’t aware of it.”

Jongdae let out a laugh and held Sehun tighter. The sound squeezed Sehun’s heart, and he wished Jongdae would only have these moments, these bright, beautiful moments. None of the darkness that had clouded his past.

“I loved you before I even realized that was the only way to describe how I felt, how I acted, how I looked at you,” Sehun nodded. He could feel his gaze soften, hearts shooting out of his eyes, and he was so in love, forever in love. “And when I understood and realized that the meaning of the word love was not only my parents and me, but you and me, so many other words lost meaning. What is pain when you’re right here to kiss everything better? What is fear when I love you? What is loneliness when you love me, too?”

Jongdae slid onto Sehun’s lap and kissed him, and though Sehun was not running, he felt his heart accelerate at impossible speeds as his mind repeated one name, one person. And it was all Jongdae, Jongdae, _Jongdae_. After breaking apart to breathe, Jongdae kept close, pressing one more kiss to Sehun’s lips before he spoke.

“Lightning gave me everything. It killed one of the men who took my parents from me, and it led me to you. So when lightning struck you and landed you in a coma, I was so afraid that it would take my life away again,” Jongdae said, gently touching the side of Sehun’s face, “I’ve already lost so much, so I really didn’t know what I would’ve done, how I would’ve even thought of moving on if you didn’t survive. But then you woke up. With these powers.”

“That’s why it’ll be different this time,” Sehun said, “I think this is the year we’ll find that second killer, Jongdae. I have these powers now, so there isn’t anything that can stop us. We’ll find him, and we’ll make him pay.”

Jongdae looked at him, searching for something before he nodded.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Tomorrow’s routine was the same. Jongdae kissed Sehun good-bye too early, but this time, Sehun cleaned up the files as fast as he could instead of staying in bed for a while longer. He didn’t want them around any longer because they upset Jongdae. Still, he scanned through them one more time, determined to find evidence of a second killer, a second accomplice. After speed-reading through the case files, Sehun picked up the box of newspapers. He didn’t understand why Jongdae still kept these, and he slowed down to examine the headlines and the articles.

LOCAL PARENTS DEAD IN HOME INVASION GONE WRONG 

DOUBLE MURDER TURNS LOCAL BOY INTO ORPHAN 

MURDERER KILLED BY LIGHTNING AFTER HOME INVASION 

There was no mention of a second murderer, and it was a pity the first one had died so he couldn’t say anything useful to the police.

Only one newspaper had included a quote from Jongdae about a second murderer, but experts had dismissed it as a scared kid who didn’t know what he had heard. If they had listened, then maybe they would have found the second murderer. If they listened, maybe Jongdae would have finally made peace with the past.

But they didn’t. 

The news had a terrible way of twisting things to their advantage, but everyone at least was sympathetic to the tragedy of the crime, to the nature of the crime rather than the victims of the crime. He was sure that Jongdae did not give them permission to use the picture of himself at his parents’ funerals, never permission to use him crying on the front cover. This was why Sehun preferred to stay inside the newspaper writing columns that not everyone read. The headlines were never a good place to be.

He found nothing more, nothing but that familiar pain, that familiar past, not anything Jongdae or the police already found, so he gave up, got ready for work, and traded his ordinary clothes for his Flash suit. As he zoomed around the city for an early patrol, he said hello to whoever called to him as he whooshed by.

After finding that no one particularly needed him since it was another quiet morning, Sehun changed back into his work clothes and visited Jitter’s to pick up coffee for Joohyun and himself. 

This morning, Soojung looked upset again, but like always, when Sehun asked her what was wrong, she insisted that she was fine, always fine. Sehun wanted to press her more this time, but she had already turned to the next customer without saying good-bye. He picked up his coffees and left, looking back once to find that same, sullen look on Soojung’s face before he headed to work. 

The noisy chaos that was missing from his earlier morning patrol seemed to have manifested in his work building instead when he saw a familiar man wearing a pristinely pressed suit arguing with one of his co-workers about some article.

“Is it that hard to add me into this?” Junmyeon asked, jabbing at the writer’s computer screen, “What do I have to do for you to write about me?”

“I am sorry,” the writer said, closing her laptop to avoid Junmyeon’s fingers from touching her screen again, “we cannot list every single person by name in this picture or there will not be enough space.”

Junmyeon sighed and crossed his arms. 

“I know you’re working hard, and I thank you for that. But it’s important my name’s in the article and on the headline,” Junmyeon said, “My father is there all the time, but I can’t even get a good article about only me?”

“Sorry,” the writer said, rolling her chair slightly away from Junmyeon, “if you want, you can talk to Qian about it.”

“I think I will,” Junmyeon said before he relaxed his expression and smiled, “Have a good day. Keep working hard.”

Sehun took that as his cue to briskly walk to his office before he could be recognized.

Today, Sehun finished a couple articles about citizens since that was his primary responsibility, emailing them to the copy editor before he opened his document with all the work he did on the Flash. After uselessly staring at the blinking cursor for another five minutes, he looked to some news articles for inspiration but quickly exited out of the tabs when he saw photos of himself in costume displayed on the front page.

He did look…cool, he had to admit. Whoever took these photos must have been remarkably skilled because they had managed to capture a picture of him without looking too blurry. Or they had good timing, as he saw one picture of him standing above a criminal he just defeated.

But the Flash in these photos was unrecognizable. Who was going to tell the city that his whole entire inner monologue was a long scream and a stream of swears when he was fighting that robber? They expected a cool, fearless hero. Sehun was by no means that.

Luckily, Sehun was spared from having to think of how to add to his article, as he suddenly received a text from Baekhyun. 

URGENT. RESPOND ASAP.

“I’ll be right back,” Sehun said, not even bothering to save his document. He knew by now what that meant, and he was grateful for the distraction from work.

“Sure,” Joohyun said without looking up from her work, “let me look at your progress when you’re back. I’m not worried, but I still want to see what type of changes you made on your Flash article.”

Sehun made a face but nodded before speed walking out of his building. He checked to make sure no cameras or anyone were watching before zooming straight to Jongdae’s building, not stopping until he tore open the door of their office and skidded to a halt. Baekhyun almost dropped a beaker in surprise at his sudden appearance.

“I will never get over you doing that,” he said. Jongdae smoothed his hair back, tousled from the winds Sehun generated, before rushing forwards to greet him with a hug.

“There’s an armed person threatening a convenient store clerk,” Jongdae said a moment later, “We think it’s an attempted robbery, but he’s only pointing a gun at his face right now. The police are two minutes away, but anything can happen in two minutes.”

“Where are you guys heading now?” Sehun asked as Jongdae and Baekhyun took off their lab coats and traded them for their forensics crime scene jackets.

“The morgue,” Baekhyun said, wrinkling his nose, “We wanted to check an autopsy report in person. Something looked funny." 

“Dr. Lee isn’t going with you again?” Sehun asked, wondering what gave Dr. Lee the right to pick and choose which of the few cases he would actually take. 

“No,” Jongdae said as he swung his bag over his shoulder, “We can handle this, and you should _safely_ handle that situation. See you later, alright? We’ll be back before dinner.”

Sehun nodded and raced home to change into his suit. Surely there must be a more convenient way, but Sehun wouldn’t know what to say if someone caught him carrying the suit around. And it wasn’t like running home to change would take more than two seconds anyways. 

After Baekhyun effortlessly navigated him through the city, he arrived at the convenient store within another second. There, the robber was in the midst of threatening the clerk with his gun. The clerk kept his trembling hands in the air, squeezing his eyes shut. Sehun watched the robber wave the gun around and decided to act before it went off on purpose or by accident.

It took him longer to disarm the robber today since he still didn’t now how to efficiently deal with guns, but soon enough, he incapacitated the robber without any shots fired. And more importantly, without any fatalities.

After he gingerly picked up the gun and placed it on the counter, he turned behind him to find the clerk still frozen behind the counter. 

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked after disguising his voice, “He didn’t hurt you, right?”

The clerk quickly shook his head, taking a few deep breaths before breaking out into a grin. 

“You’re the best!” the clerk said, clasping his hands together, “Thank you so much, Flash.”

Sehun nodded, glad that the clerk seemed fine.

“I’ll be there next time if you need me, okay?” he said before backtracking, “not…that I’d want a robbery to happen to you again, but—”

“Don’t worry,” the clerk grinned, “I got it, dude.”

He flashed Sehun a thumbs up, a sign Sehun returned just as the police were storming inside. Sehun took that as his cue to zip out of the store and skidded to a stop outside to check the time. A large golden clock on the side of a department store told him that only five minutes had passed. Sehun knew he had to return to work, but since he had the time, and since Jongdae and Baekhyun probably weren’t back, he thought this would be a good opportunity to do something he had been meaning to do.

After changing back into his civilian clothes, he took a taxi to Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s work building instead of his own. There, he nodded a hello to the security guard who stared at him after realizing this was the second time he had visited in the same day before taking the elevator up to the top floor. He passed by Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s lab before walking to Dr. Lee’s office. The door was slightly ajar, and as Sehun peeked through the crack, he saw Dr. Lee holding a vial full of bright blue fluid before he knocked and entered.

Dr. Lee shelved the blue vial away behind him, swirling his chair around to conceal it from view. 

“Sehun,” Dr. Lee said, “what a lovely surprise. How can I help you?”

Sehun pressed his lips together before closing the door behind him.

“It’s kind of a sensitive issue, but I was wondering if I could ask you about a previous case you worked on,” Sehun asked, pressing his back to the door.

“Which one?” Dr. Lee asked, “I’m not sure if I’d remember everything since I’m getting quite old, but—”

“The murder of Jongdae’s parents,” Sehun said. Dr. Lee’s eyebrows instantly shot up, and he examined Sehun’s expression before pointing at the seat in front of him with a wrinkled hand.

“Have a seat,” Dr. Lee said.

“That was your first case ever, right?” Sehun asked as he sat down, keeping his distance as he scooted back, the legs of the chair screeching and scratching against the polished floor.

He glanced at the photos on the desk. Like Sehun, Dr. Lee displayed framed photos of those he loved. There was one photo of his parents, another with him and his grandparents, and a set of three pictures linked together. Two young boys running through the mud. Two boys sitting in the grass wearing matching baseball uniforms with an older woman. Two men hugging each other after Dr. Lee’s graduation ceremony. Perhaps it was his brother. 

“Yes,” Dr. Lee said, “I was straight out of college, a new forensics scientist looking for a case.”

“But you were with the first responders even if you didn’t know what had happened, if there were even bodies there,” Sehun said, folding his arms across his chest, “Aren’t forensics teams supposed to wait until the crime is confirmed?” 

He was sure, at one point, that the chief of police must have had this conversation with Jongdae who had negotiated a bank robbery all by himself just because Sehun was one of the hostages and also a home invasion just because it was a home invasion.

“Yes,” Dr. Lee said after a pause, “but back then, I was young. Naive. When I wasn’t needed in the lab, I used to ride with every cruiser hoping that _this_ time I’d be able to work on my first case. I wanted to work, but that’d mean I’d wished for someone’s death so I could examine their body and the crime scene. Isn’t that horrible?”

“Yeah,” Sehun bluntly said. Dr. Lee furrowed his eyebrows, and Sehun was reminded of how he always felt he wasn’t welcome here or liked by the old man in front of him. He couldn’t blame Dr. Lee because he was always taking Jongdae home from work whenever he could after all.

“Have you ever seen a dead body, Sehun?” Dr. Lee asked, folding his hands on the desk.

Sehun shook his head. He’d prefer to keep it that way. He looked away, trailing his gaze around the other frames hanging on the walls of Dr. Lee’s office. These were more self-indulgent. A few pictures showed Dr. Lee shaking hands with some important looking person as he accepted an award. His PhD was framed beside it. Then finally in the background, Dr. Lee with that same man on his desk. So he really loved his brother. 

“Then let me tell you, Sehun,” Dr. Lee said. Reluctantly, Sehun looked up again. “Nothing prepares you for the first time you see the scene of a murder. Nothing prepares you for the first time you see a body. Two bodies, in my case. We have a way of thinking, of reasoning that _no_ they must be sleeping. No, they must still have some pulse. No, they can still be saved.”

“That’s why you tried to revive them and stop the bleeding,” Sehun said.

“Yes,” Dr. Lee said, his tone dropping, “but it was too late. Far too late. The time of death was hours ago.”

“Did you notice any signs of a second murderer?” Sehun asked without taking the time to consider how best to pose the question. “If Jongdae says the case is unfinished, then it’s unfinished. If he says there was a second murderer, then there was a second murderer.” 

“Is this your real reason of visiting?” Dr. Lee said, letting out a small, subtle chuckle, “Are you digging into the case I closed years and years ago?”

“Jongdae still needs closure,” Sehun said, “He’s wanted it more than anything, so I’m looking for new angles and anything that you might have missed.”

“I only found evidence of one murderer,” Dr. Lee said, his frown causing the wrinkles that cut into his skin to deepen. Sehun understood he was crossing a line here since he was practically telling this acclaimed and esteemed forensics scientist that his work was shit. But what wouldn’t he do for Jongdae?

“You could’ve missed something,” Sehun insisted. He was probably the only person in the country who wasn’t impressed with him and his work. If Dr. Lee were any less composed, Sehun would’ve expected him to start spluttering. 

“Listen,” Dr. Lee said, leaning forwards in his chair, pressing the palm of his right hand onto the desk, “We found the murder prints, Sehun. There was only one set of fingerprints on the blade, only one set of DNA on the corpses, and they belonged to the murderer who was found struck by lightning across the street. If there were another murderer, then we would’ve found him. _I_ would’ve done so because it’s my job to make sure no one ever gets away with anything. Jongdae was only twelve when his parents were murdered. Don’t forget that. To cope with his trauma, he probably imagined things in his head that made sense to him but didn’t. Actually. Happen.”

Dr. Lee jabbed the desk with his finger to punctuate the last few words he spoke before leaning back in his chair after he finished.

Now it was Sehun’s turn to clench his jaw and ball up his fists in an attempt to stay calm. He furrowed his eyebrows and suddenly stood up from his chair to look down at Dr. Lee. The nation saw an acclaimed scientist, Jongdae saw his incredible boss, Baekhyun saw the man who had given him a second chance, but when Sehun stared at this aging man, he saw none of that. Dr. Lee was just a man. A man who made a mistake that cost Jongdae more torment than he should ever deserve.

“You are the reason why we moved from Keystone to Central City for university, you know,” Sehun said, struggling to stop himself from raising his voice. If he blew up at Dr. Lee, it was highly unlikely he’d let Jongdae ditch work early tomorrow to spend time with him. Assuming he wasn’t already offended. “He idolized your work, and he wanted to study forensics with you. I don’t know why he’d believe in someone who failed to catch the second murderer, but shouldn’t you believe him, too?”

He didn’t wait for Dr. Lee’s response or his reaction before he wrenched the door open and strode outside, fuming. If he wasn’t careful, then he would’ve set the floor on fire from how hard and fast he stomped down the hall. Along his way to the elevator, he passed by Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s lab and hovered around the door for a moment, peeking through the window.

Baekhyun had probably said something amusing, as Jongdae suddenly let out a laugh so loud that Sehun still heard it from here. His heart softened, and he considered opening the door for a quick hello, a long good-bye. But he knew Jongdae would see the remnants of his fury, the frustration on his face, and would ask him what was wrong. Sehun, who could never hide anything from Jongdae, would probably slip and mumble the answer. That Dr. Lee still didn’t believe him. That he wasn’t any closer to finding the truth. Jongdae would be upset again, and Sehun couldn’t have that…not when he was working with a smile on his face and his gaze was soft.

No, it was better to go now.

Sehun stole one final glimpse of Jongdae and Baekhyun before trudging down the hall. As he waited for the elevator, he checked his phone for the time and let out a gasp, the previous emotions extinguished, replaced by a shock of panic. Work. Joohyun. His article.

Even though the elevator dinged and its doors slid open, Sehun took off, flying down the stairs and tearing through the streets as fast as he could. He would’ve thought balancing his life as the Flash and his life as Sehun the writer wouldn’t be too difficult, but it was. It was. Especially since working hours for the Flash often bled into his writing shift and his free time. 

After skidding to a stop behind the building, Sehun strode into the lobby from the back entrance and jammed his finger on the elevator button again and again and again. The elevator finally opened after what seemed like a whole year, and Sehun hurried inside, praying that it would take him as quickly up to his floor as possible.

He reached his floor a minute later, delayed by the elevator that stopped too often to pick up people from other floors and let others off. He ignored his co-workers calling out to him from the main floor and all but ran into his office.

Not even as soon as he sat down in his desk, Joohyun put down her pen and spoke.

“Where were you?” Joohyun asked, looking up with a frown, “You were gone for fifteen minutes, and when I checked the break room, you weren’t there.”

Sehun blurted out a quick lie before he could even process that he was lying to Joohyun. Again.

“I stepped outside to call Jongdae about some sensitive issues,” Sehun said as he took his seat, “Sorry. I didn’t think it’d take that long.”

Joohyun looked at him oddly for a moment before returning her attention to her papers. He forgot that she, unlike some of his other co-workers, minded her own business and didn’t press any issues.

“It’s fine. Just don’t let Qian catch you next time,” she said. Sehun slowly exhaled. “Now can I see what you have now?”

Fuck.

Sehun would’ve preferred a lecture about work habits instead of this.

“…Yes,” Sehun said. The seconds he spent opening his computer, typing in his password, and pulling up his draft were some of the longest seconds of his life. It wasn’t any better than the last in his opinion.

And in Joohyun’s opinion, too.

“This sounds like a police report. Add some life to it, Sehun,” Joohyun said after skimming it through, “and put some more emphasis on what the Flash did. Not the police, not the criminals.”

That’s because it _was_ a police report. Sehun, afraid that he might give something away, had continued to report the event exactly like the police thought it happened so he wouldn’t mix up some details he wasn’t supposed to know. This was the result. 

Sehun sighed and deleted his whole article again.

“Joohyun, I can’t do it,” Sehun admitted, “I can’t write this.”

“Why not?” she asked, her eyebrows slightly lifting, “What’s wrong?

For a second, Sehun thought about telling her the truth. He couldn’t write about the Flash because he didn’t believe in the Flash. He couldn’t write about the Flash because he didn’t believe the Flash was doing anything extraordinary, anything worth the city’s praise. He couldn’t write about the Flash because the Flash was not who the city thought he was.

And he couldn’t write about the Flash because he was the Flash.

“I don’t know,” Sehun muttered instead, shrugging his slouched shoulders, “the words won’t come. How do I mediate what the city sees in a guy who can’t even control the way he’s depicted? He just does his thing and I…I don’t know what he’d say. I’ve been staring at a blank document for so long wondering if he’d agree with all of this.”

Joohyun nodded, examining the way Sehun looked before she replied.

“Writing, no matter how much time you spend procrastinating,” Joohyun said, “is willpower. Do you have the energy to keep on writing even when you’d rather take a nap? Do you have the energy to force any words at all to come when you don’t have inspiration?”

“I guess I have writer’s block,” Sehun said, “selectively on Flash-related articles." 

Joohyun laughed as she shook her head. 

“What do I always say about writer’s block, Sehun?” Joohyun asked.

“It doesn’t exist,” he mumbled. He’d heard this lecture every time some new intern or inexperienced writer lacking inspiration had to come up with an excuse for not having an article for Joohyun to look at. But it had never been directed at him. Until now.

“Exactly,” Joohyun said, snapping her fingers, “Even if you write the ugliest, worst draft you’ve ever written, write something. Force yourself to write. Even the worst of drafts can be rewritten and edited again. I’ll help you with that since I’m your editor, but there usually isn’t much for me to do with your writing.” 

“Guess that’ll change this time,” Sehun said, sliding down his seat. That was easy for Joohyun to say because she was Joohyun. If she had to walk a thousand miles to see Seulgi, then she would. If she had to fly a plane across the country without any flying lessons, then she would. And if she had to write for days straight without becoming distracted, without feeling as if she forgot how to write, then she could.

But writing wasn’t his problem like Joohyun believed. Sure, he got distracted every now and then and occasionally spent more time thinking about writing than actually writing. But aside from Joohyun, who didn’t? Really, it was writing about himself, the self that the city believed in that he didn’t have the heart to do.

“I believe in you and your writing, Sehun,” Joohyun said, turning back to her work, “I always have. And if you give me a decent draft, I have a surprise for you at the end of today’s shift.” 

Intrigued, Sehun worked hard, powering through an ugly draft full of typos and sentences he forgot to finish. Once he presented it to Joohyun, she nodded as she skimmed through what he had written. 

“See?” Joohyun said with a smile, handing Sehun back his computer, “That's a first draft. You can still write even if looks like you drunkenly put it together at 3AM. Now that you have one draft, you can rewrite it again and again and again until you or I am happy with it.” 

“Does this mean I can have that surprise you were talking about?” Sehun asked, taking that as his cue to save his work and close his laptop.

“Absolutely,” Joohyun said as she pulled out her phone to message someone, “Your surprise will be here shortly.” 

The surprise, it turned out, was Sehun’s own demise.

“Hello,” a young woman with long hair and cropped bangs cheerfully said as she stood in front of Sehun’s desk moments later, “Joohyun told me you want to learn how to defend yourself?”

“Hello, Seulgi,” Sehun greeted her. He tried to smile, but he stared at her toned biceps and saw his life flash before his very eyes. “Please don’t kill me.” 

“Oh, she won’t kill you, but you’ll be sore for weeks,” Joohyun laughed, standing up to welcome Seulgi with a kiss. Sehun relaxed, watching them chat. Joohyun didn’t offer anyone she didn’t particularly like even the smallest semblance of a smile. But when she was with Seulgi her smile never left her face. Sehun loved to see her like this.

“Why did you want to learn how to defend yourself, Sehun?” Seulgi asked. Joohyun stood by her side, swinging their clasped hands together.

So he would be able to take down armed people before they could hurt others without causing more damage than necessary and without taking too much time. And hopefully with less screaming. So he would feel more prepared when someone brave decided to swing at him even though he could dodge it easily. So he could help more people before guns went off. 

“Oh, you know,” Sehun said instead, “Central City can be a dangerous place sometimes.”

He knew the city would always be more dangerous for Joohyun, Seulgi, Qian, Soojung, but. This was his best excuse.

“But the Flash is here,” Seulgi said, “he can save you, can’t he?”

“He must be a busy guy,” Sehun said, “He probably can’t save anyone.” 

He didn’t want to keep talking about the Flash, so he offered a different reason.

“Or also in case someone swings at Jongdae when we’re walking around at night,” Sehun said.

Joohyun and Seulgi exchanged a brief look, and Sehun already knew what they thought. If anyone were doing the protecting and physical fighting between them, their natural assumption would be Jongdae and his big biceps.

“All right,” Seulgi nodded, “pack up your things. I already set up some mats and dummies in a spare room here.”

Sehun had fought criminals who were not afraid to pull the trigger of the gun, but he still felt his heart thump against his chest as he followed Seulgi and Joohyun to a room in the basement. After all, Seulgi was an Air Force pilot with deadly training and probably capable of taking Sehun down with a finger if she wanted.

“Ready?” Seulgi asked, standing across from Sehun.

“ _Please_ don’t kill me,” Sehun repeated, raising his hands in front of his face.

A couple of hours later, Sehun was most definitely not dead, but even though he could heal quickly, his body was _sore_. Seulgi had thrown him down on the mats again and again and again and made him repeat drills until he couldn’t feel his fists. She even taught him her signature move, a swift, nearly vertical uppercut to the jaw. Sehun wasn’t even close to perfecting that, but he never grew tired of watching Seulgi demonstrate on some poor dummy.

At least he wouldn’t be completely clueless when someone pulled out a gun now.

As he hobbled back to his apartment, he passed by Jitter’s along the way and stopped by the windows, curious why the light was still on. It was past closing time, but Soojung was still inside, piling the chairs on top of the tables. He was about to leave before he saw her hide her face in her hands and her shoulders shake. Sehun knocked on the glass door three times. Soojung turned away, dropping her hands to her sides, pretending as if she didn’t hear the noise. Sehun knocked harder.

“Sorry, we’re closed,” she called out after a few more knocks.

Sehun continued knocking, not giving up until she turned around, a deep scowl on her face, brushing away tears before she saw him standing there and relaxed.

“We’re closed now, Sehun,” she said, staring at him from behind the glass door, “come back tomorrow.”

“I was only passing by, but I wanted to check on you,” Sehun said, raising the volume of his voice to be heard through the glass, “Are you okay?” 

Soojung took a deep shuddering breath and said nothing more. Sehun waited for a yes or a no. After a while, she unlocked the door and opened it without answering and let Sehun come in. Without the smell of the roasting coffee, without a long line that stretched out of the door, without people sitting at the tables chatting or peering at their laptops, and without flaky pastries to sit in the now empty display cases, the room felt empty. 

There were a few tables in the back with chairs that Soojung hadn’t finished stacking, so she sat down at one and waited for Sehun to join her. She sniffled once and looked away, unable to meet Sehun’s gaze. Sehun waited for her to speak, but even if she didn’t want to talk, then he would at least offer his presence.

“My sister Jessica,” Soojung finally said, so softly that Sehun had to lean forwards to listen, “has always taken care of me, but I feel like I’m failing her.”

Sehun waited a second before he spoke.         

“Why?” he asked, “I’m sure that’s not true. She’s lucky to have you as a sister, Soojung.” 

Soojung turned her head, looking out into the city beyond the glass. A few clouds drifted across the night sky while cars rushed past them on the streets.

“Everything she has done in her life she did for me,” Soojung said, “but she’s always putting herself into dangerous situations, and I don’t know what I can do to stop her. I can’t keep her safe, and I’m worried one day she’ll be hurt too badly to recover. To live.”

“Well, isn’t that guy…what’s his name…the Flash running around protecting people nowadays?” Sehun said, “So you’ll have extra help keeping her safe.”

“The Flash doesn’t protect people like her,” Soojung shook her head. 

“Why not?” Sehun said, his heart slightly sinking from his chest. He knew it. He couldn’t save everyone, and he was still lacking in so many ways. “He’s tried his best to save people whenever he could, and your sister is not different.”

“Because,” Soojung said, tears welling up in her eyes again, “he protects people from people like her.”

“Oh,” Sehun said, “I see.”

He wondered if he had ever encountered Soojung’s sister while patrolling or trying to thwart a crime.

“But that doesn’t make her a bad person,” Soojung hastily added, “even if she’s done some bad things. She’s one of the only people who cares for me, and what else is there for her to do when the rest of the world failed her?”

“But you still want her to stop doing these things,” Sehun said. 

“Of course,” Soojung sighed, rubbing her face, “I’d rather her come home with nothing than not come home at all.”

“Well,” Sehun said, shifting in his seat, “if she won’t listen to you, then I’m sure the Flash will stop her before she hurts herself. He’s not a killer, and he’ll probably let her go or give her enough time before the police arrive so she can come back to you.”

“How would you know?” Soojung asked, her eyes flicking back to meet Sehun’s, “Do you know who the Flash is?”

Sehun stared. 

“No. Obviously. But it’s just a guess,” Sehun said. He was getting better at lying, and he didn’t like it at all. Especially since he cared about all the people he lied to. “He looks like he’s trying his best to protect this city. And if your sister still lives in the city, then she still counts, right?”

Soojung sighed.

“You’re too kind, Sehun,” Soojung said, resting her cheek in her hand, “don’t you know the police would shoot on sight if they even saw my sister?” 

“The Flash is not the police,” Sehun said, hating that he was talking about himself in the third person. Only villains did that. “Why don’t you try talking to her?” 

“I have,” Soojung sighed.

“Did you tell her what you told me?” Sehun asked.

Soojung fell silent.

“Just tell her,” Sehun said, “be honest, and because she loves you, I’m sure she’ll listen, stop whatever she’s doing, and come back to you in one piece.”

Soojung remained silent for a few more moments before the edges of her lips ever so slightly curled up. 

“Thanks for listening, Sehun. I’d hate to ask you to do more, but can you…help me move a new sign out?” Soojung asked, brushing the last of her tears away before she stood up.

“Yeah. Of course,” Sehun said, sitting up and placing their chairs up side down on the table so she wouldn’t have to.

“Here,” Soojung said, dragging a sign from behind the counter, “We’re introducing a new drink tomorrow.”

Sehun stared at the red sign decorated with gold lightning bolts.

“You named the new drink after the Flash?” Sehun asked.

“Yeah, it’s regular brew coffee with three shots of espresso,” Soojung said, “ and with a little lightning bolt on the top of the foam. I’d ask you to try it, but I know you like your same order.”           

“Yeah,” Sehun said, unable to tear his eyes away from the image, “You’re right.”

He moved the sign out to the front of the store, about to say good-bye for the night before he stopped, his hand pressed on the door. He studied the glass, finding red and white lights from the outside dancing around his reflection. He blinked, watched the reflection blink, and turned back to ask a final question.

“Soojung, do you believe in him?” Sehun asked, “The Flash?”

“Yeah,” Soojung immediately answered as she swept the floor, “Yeah, I do.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun soon realized what Jongdae must have suffered through during his average workday. Crime never stopped, and Sehun found himself stretched between work duties and Flash duties. He never knew how Jongdae could instantly wake up and go to work even at early morning hours, but nowadays he had a better understanding when he rolled out of bed at 6AM because apparently someone thought that was a prime time to break into a jewelry store. But it had been the breaking point when he was forced to cut a date with Jongdae short when some fool thought it would be a good idea to hold a pharmacy hostage.

“What’s up,” Sehun said as soon as he phased through the pharmacy walls, attracting the attention of the gunman, “Can you please let these people go? I’m missing a date right now.”

The gunman gasped and stumbled a few steps back at the sudden appearance of Sehun, swiveling to point his gun at him with shaking hands. 

“You’d think people would remember you can outrun bullets by now,” Jongdae’s voice pleasantly crackled in Sehun’s ear.

“Can you please let these people go?” Sehun tried again, lifting his hands up, “It won’t look good on you if the cops show up and you’ve got hostages.”

“ _Stop_ ,” the gunman screamed and fired his gun twice at Sehun.

To Sehun, the bullets looked frozen, barely even crawling towards him. He walked around, took the time to figure out which direction they were heading. None of the hostages were in the way, but he had no idea where the bullets would land, so he plucked them out of the air and dropped them. After the second finally passed, the bullets fell onto the floor at a normal, non-speedster rate. The gunman blinked at Sehun, eyes wide before pointing the gun at the pharmacists behind the counter.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he shook his head.

“Didn’t he just shoot at you?” Baekhyun said with a laugh, “what’s the truth?”

“Sehun are you alright?” Jongdae asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sehun answered before turning back to the man. “If you don’t mean to hurt anyone, then put down your gun and let these people go. Please?”

“You don’t understand,” the man loudly said, eyes darting from Sehun to the other hostages, “I _need_ these drugs.”

The hostages, a combination of customers and employees, cowered under the man’s loud voice and placed their hands over their heads. It would have been easy to end it all, end it right here, right now with one well-placed punch. But Sehun thought about what Soojung said to him earlier, thought about her sister, and changed tactics.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Sehun asked. He was fast enough to stop more bullets in case the man fired his gun again, but he wasn’t worried.

“What?” the man said, slightly lowering his gun. 

“We can talk about it,” Sehun said, keeping his hands in the air and making no sudden moves. “Why are you doing this?”

He walked forwards, causing the man to point his gun at him with shaking hands. Sehun stood right in front of the gun and moved his hand downwards, gesturing for the hostages to start running out. There was a testy moment of silence before they obeyed and ran for the emergency exit a few meters away.

“I…” the man said, placing one hand to his head, “everything’s all wrong.”

“Okay buddy,” Sehun said, keeping both hands raised, “I hear you. What’s wrong?”

The man lowered his gun and covered his face with his other hand. As he breathed in and out, Sehun signaled to the pharmacists to leave. After a few seconds, the only people in the pharmacy were Sehun and this man. Sehun hopped onto the counter and swung his legs around as he waited for the man to speak.

“It’s my wife,” he finally admitted after thirty seconds of silence, “she’s sick, but I can’t afford to pay for her medications." 

“So you threatened people with a gun to get them for her,” Sehun said. 

“I’d do anything for her,” he said, raising his voice, “and my insurance was expiring, so I did what I had to do. She can’t…she can’t die. I can’t watch my best friend die. ”

Sehun stared at him until the man hung his head.

“I have a few friends who might be able to help,” Sehun said, “don’t lose hope, okay? Good doctors wouldn’t just let her die.” 

“You don’t know what the people in this city are capable of,” the man shook his head, “You don’t know what people would do without money to motivate them.”

Sehun spotted the cops approaching from the front of the store and motioned for them to stop.

“Yes I do,” Sehun insisted, “I see the worst all the time, but I also see the best in people every day, too. So be better than the best. Who’s going to help your wife if you go to jail for murder?”

The man fell to his knees and buried his head in his hands.

“Is it too late for me? Too late for her?” he said, his voice a little muffled, “after all this I…” 

“No, it’s not,” Sehun said, bending down to place a hand on the man’s shoulder, “you didn’t hurt anyone, so I’m sure that’ll be looked at favorably.”

“But I shot at you,” the man said, looking up at Sehun with red-rimmed eyes. 

“But I forgive you,” Sehun smiled, “Don’t do this again, and call for me if your wife needs anything.”

The man nodded and finally dropped his gun to the floor as he thanked Sehun over and over and over again

“Please go easy on him. He listened. He’s willing to cooperate,” Sehun said, waiting for the police to agree. He had to wait a good ten seconds for one to nod.

Glad that he had been able to resolve the situation without any injuries or casualties, Sehun zoomed around the city with an extra spring in his step, listening attentively to his comms in case someone else needed help.

But there weren't any major threats, any immediate danger, so Sehun busied himself with helping in any way that he could. Today appeared to be an easy day, like surely after what had almost happened the universe would give the whole city a break and only cast down minor inconveniences that Sehun could fix with his speed.

Some market was shorthanded today, so he helped Mrs. Kim, the owner, unpack a few hundred boxes and pile them onto the shelves. Chanyeol the baker had flown out of his bakery with flour dusting his face, apron half on, needing to run to the store because he had accidentally spilled his last bottle of vanilla extract. Sehun bought him a bottle before he could even make it halfway down the street. He darted across the street and watched Chanyeol wildly look around with a grin on his face, searching for him as he promised he could have free cookies whenever he wanted. 

But as it turned out, maybe today was meant to be a bad day. A terrible, ugly, awful day, so if Sehun thwarted one gunman, then the universe would spit out something else to wreak the damage it intended. Something worse.

Just as Sehun bent down to help an old lady tie her shoe, some kid knocked him down after colliding with him on his skateboard. Sehun fell flat on his face, not having the chance to even ask the kid if he was all right because he had already fled after saying sorry. While still on the ground, Sehun turned to his left and found something odd sticking out from the bottom of the car beside him. 

Wires.

Red numbers counting down.

Since Sehun had the time, he gave himself half a second to panic, pacing around in a circle so fast that electricity started crackling around him again. 

After that half a second and not a moment longer, he spoke quietly into his comms to avoid sending the old lady beside him into cardiac arrest.

“Hypothetically,” Sehun said as calmly as he could, “how do you defuse a bomb?” 

Silence.

Hesitant laughter.

Silence.

“That’s only hypothetical, right?” Baekhyun said.

Sehun sharply inhaled.

“No,” he said, bending down to check if he was imagining things. He wasn’t. “Unless it’s normal for the cars to have packages with wires and a timer stuck under it.”

“Oh my god,” Jongdae said. He took a shuddering breath that rattled Sehun’s comms. “Oh my _god_ …Sehun. Get yourself and everyone around you out of there.”

Sehun observed how many people were in the bomb’s vicinity before grimly realizing it was a crowded streets with stores that boasted high numbers of customers. Popular restaurants, some with outdoor dining. Trendy Shops. A fountain where people were taking pictures. Fuck.

“How much time is left?” Baekhyun asked. 

“Twenty,” Sehun said.

“Minutes?” Jongdae asked.

“Seconds,” Sehun answered, exhaling slowly.

“Get everyone at least a hundred meters away,” Baekhyun said.

“And come back safely. Please,” Jongdae said. Sehun could imagine Jongdae restlessly shaking his leg as he sat in Baekhyun’s apartment. Or maybe he had started pacing around the room by now. But the longer he spent thinking about Jongdae, the less time he had to act. So he took one more deep breath, surveyed the area, and then sprinted into action.

"I guess you should put learning how to defuse bombs on your list of things to learn next," Sehun sighed before picking up the old lady and dropping her off a hundred meters away from the bomb. There was a restaurant full of people next to the bomb, so he ran back and forth and back and forth there next, whisking one person after the other to safety. 

Across the street he cleared out another restaurant and the surrounding shops before finally zipping across to the fountain, picking up kids dipping their fingers into the water, their parents carefully watching them, and tourists taking pictures.

Sehun could not and would not be able to live with himself if he forgot a single person, so after stopping for a quick breath, he searched every corner of the area, every inch that he might have missed.

"Go!" Jongdae suddenly urged in his ear, "go now, Sehun! There's no time left!" 

"What if there's still more people? Sehun asked breathlessly, "how can I be sure if that was everyone?" 

"Think about yourself, too," Baekhyun said, a little quieter, "You have two seconds left. And you won't be able to save everyone else if you d—"

"If you don't come home," Jongdae interrupted before Baekhyun had the chance to finish his sentence.

Sehun paused for a second, trying to confirm if there really was no one else left. But he also didn't want to die, so with the last second to spare, he tore across the street, finally feeling his pulse spike. He reached the area where he had placed the people just in time before the car bomb exploded behind him. The explosion shattered the windows of the cars and stores around, hurtling fragments and shards around its blast radius.

The people who stood, disoriented from the abrupt change in surroundings gasped as they saw the flames climb into the air. They watched the flames continue to bun for another moment as Sehun caught his breath.

"Are you okay?" Jongdae asked.

"Say something," Baekhyun said.

Behind them, the crowd began clapping, and someone led a loud chant that everyone joined.

_Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!_

"Oh yeah, he's definitely okay," Baekhyun said.

"Yeah," Sehun said, bending over to continue to catch his breath. Soon, he felt hands pat his back, hands reach out to take his own and shake it.

"Thanks, Flash."

"Thanks, Flash. You saved my daughter and me." 

"Thanks, Flash." 

"Thanks, Flash. I'm so glad you're here protecting our city." 

"Thanks, Flash."

Sehun nodded, always telling them that it was nothing, that he was glad that they were all fine. He ran back to the scene of the incident, grateful Baekhyun had made his shoes flame resistant, and searched for anyone he might have accidentally left behind. But after confirming that no one was in the area most affected by the blast, he used the last of his energy to come back home.

He collapsed on the floor of Baekhyun’s apartment, too tired to move or even change out of his suit. He heard footsteps pound on the hard wood floor as Jongdae and Baekhyun ran to him and felt hands checking his body for injuries that he didn't have. Jongdae. Another pair of hands tugged off his cowl before tousling his hair. Baekhyun.

"Too bad none of us can be out there with you," Baekhyun said, fixing Sehun's bangs after he had messed up his hair, "We'd only slow you down, and you'd have to carry us everywhere."

Sehun hesitated and considered the idea of someone fighting by his side. He was sure he would feel less afraid if there was someone with him, but what if it was Baekhyun? What if it was Jongdae? Sehun would spend half the time worrying about them when he should be worrying about the job, the mission. 

He was spared from a response as Jongdae dragged Sehun onto his lap. Sehun rested his head on Jongdae's thighs and breathed.

"You're amazing," Jongdae said, running his hands through Sehun's hair. Sehun's eyes fluttered, and he was ready to sleep right now, right here.

"Who do you think planted the bomb?" Why would they do that?" Baekhyun asked.

"Can you examine the cameras around the area? Maybe the culprit was caught on one of them," Jongdae said, careful with the way he worded his request.

Baekhyun lowered his gaze, poking at the ground with a finger before he let out a sigh.

"I don't do that stuff anymore, remember?" Baekhyun said. 

"We have a bomber," Jongdae said, “This is—“

"Then the police will solve it," Baekhyun said, "We just save lives here. Not anything else."

Without giving Jongdae time to respond, Baekhyun stood and walked back to the couch, picking up one of his laptops. His fingers hovered over the keys for a moment before he slouched in his chair and checked for updates. If anyone died or was injured, then Baekhyun would have said something. But there was only silence, only time for Sehun to fall asleep, to fall asleep right here on Jongdae's lap and— 

Suddenly, Sehun jolted awake, sitting up straight as he suddenly remembered.

"Oh my god," Sehun said, scrambling to find his phone.

"What?" Jongdae said, placing an arm on his shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Baekhyun looked up from the couch, fingers poised on the keyboard, but he still didn’t speak.

"I didn't turn in my article," Sehun said, resisting the urge to scream, "Joohyun is going to _kill_ me."

He doubted that she'd accept any excuse, even if he told her he had just saved people from an explosion. If he had a deadline, then he had a deadline. He had never missed one before, and he didn't want to find out how she'd react to his first missed deadline. 

He flipped through his notifications, swam through the sea of emails, and sure enough, Joohyun had sent him multiple messages.

 _Is everything okay? Usually you have your article in before this time._

_If you need help, just ask me, all right? Time’s ticking…_

_Sehun do you need someone else to write it quickly?_

Sehun put a hand to his face and opened his mouth. But their landlord was strict about noise, so he slumped over and lay dramatically on the floor with his arms spread out.

“You didn’t finish your article?” Jongdae asked, “That’s not like you.”

“No,” Sehun said, covering his eyes with his hands, “because how am I supposed to write about _me_. Every time I try, Joohyun tells me to rewrite it.”

"There's still time, right?" Jongdae asked.

"Five minutes," Sehun said, feeling the urge to take a thousand year nap. Maybe if he woke up after that, all his problems would disappear. But even after his coma, he still had to makeup for all the work he missed. All those articles didn't write themselves, and Sehun was still responsible for the Flash articles he so badly wanted to dismiss. 

"Then that's plenty for someone with your powers," Jongdae said, grabbing Sehun's bag and pulling out his laptop for him. “Go."

Sehun nodded and pulled up a new document. Panic and looming, last minute deadlines were always the strongest motivators, and within seconds, paragraphs appeared on his screen as his fingers quickly flew across the keyboard. What he was writing now wasn't even close to publishing standards, but he had to try. Something was better than nothing, and he cursed himself for deleting those other drafts. He could've reused a good sentence from one, a good phrasing from another, and combined them all together. Joohyun would never know the difference. Actually, she would, but that wasn't the point right now. The point was that Sehun was about to miss a deadline for the first time, and—

_Never mind. I saw your submission._

Sehun stared at Joohyun's message that had appeared on the right side of his screen and froze. The cursor steadily blinked back at him as Sehun tried to remember if he, somehow, in the blur of events, had managed to actually or at least accidentally submit something terrible in between stopping a gunman here and there and now that bomb.

But he didn't. He hadn't turned in anything? Maybe someone else had mistakenly turned in his?

Sehun debated his options, thought he could leave the consequences for what he was about to do for the future, and just. Turned off his computer and lay down on the floor. He stared up at Baekhyun's ceiling for a moment before texting a single word back to Joohyun. 

 _Okay_.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun couldn’t sleep much yesterday, tossing and turning around his sheets as he kept thinking about the bomb. What if he hadn’t been fast enough? What if he hadn’t saved everyone in time? What if he hadn’t been there at all? Briefly, he remembered what Dr. Lee had asked him. Yes, he’d been fortunate to have never seen a dead body. But in this line of work, maybe it was only a question of when. The more people expected him, the more he worried he would disappoint everyone if he ever lost. If he wasn’t fast enough. 

He rolled over to his side to make sure Jongdae was still there and found him, eyes closed, chest slowly, slightly rising and falling as he breathed. Sehun didn't want to wake him if he had to work early tomorrow, so he shut his eyes and tried to sleep.

What seemed like ten minutes later, the sun peeked through the curtain, and Sehun gave up any hopes of sleeping and checked his phone with a sigh, scrolling through the news articles that had been posted for today.

Two new Flash articles were posted. One editorial he had tried to write about a previous robbery, and one report about yesterday's bombing.

 

 

BY OH SEHUN

 

 

Sehun spent the rest of the morning confused. There were no mistakes in the Central City Times. Ever. Every article, every sentence, every little word was thoroughly examined, scrutinized, and critiqued before it was published. At least a couple copy editors viewed his work before finally sending it to Joohyun. Not a single mistake or typo could be afforded because whole city read their newspaper every day, read their articles online at every second.

Perhaps this was a simple, rare mistake. Perhaps whoever was in charge of final submissions forgot to take off his name from the article since Qian had made it clear that he was the primary Flash...specialist. Sehun spent his early morning rapidly checking through his inbox, his drafts, his trash for any sign that he might’ve sent  _something_  by mistake. 

But no. 

There was nothing.

"Joohyun," Sehun said at work as he read through the articles again, wondering what had happened, "what do you think about the writer of the Flash articles?"

He studied her expression, wondering if the slightest wrinkle, furrow of her brow would give away some knowledge, some secret she hid. But there was nothing, not a single change in her expression.

"Is there a reason we're referring to you in the third person?" Joohyun asked without looking up from her work, "Mr. Oh Sehun?"

Sehun opened his mouth, prepared to admit he most definitely did not write these articles, but Joohyun continued without giving him a chance.

"Anyways, I think the writer is trying their best obviously," she said before bending down to pull out a folder from her bag.

Sehun read the articles again instead of doing his work, noticing a few common words the writer preferred using in these Flash articles.

__Courage. Compassion. Hero. Heart._ _

Jongdae?

It was unlikely, but Jongdae had seen Sehun complaining over and over again about these articles. Maybe he, the best boyfriend of all time, wrote one just in case.

Sehun sent him a text asking him directly if he had submitted an article for him. Minutes later, Jongdae replied no. He did not. 

Regardless of the answer, Sehun had already rationalized and concluded that it was Jongdae who wrote these articles. After all, the writer's tone seemed like how Jongdae sounded when he was talking about Sehun. Not just the Flash. 

Still unsettled, Sehun exited out of the tabs, the images of himself in that bold, red suit with lightning crackling around him disappearing before the faint reflection of himself, tired from yesterday’s lack of sleep, stared back at him from the screen of the monitor.

Right. 

This was who he was right now.

Sehun. Journalist. Ex-journalist if he didn’t finish his work for the day.

Sehun never had too much trouble working on his regular columns and finished writing a draft of his article about Kim Jongin, a model who had just returned from Paris after completing several highly anticipated photoshoots. With plenty of time left in his shift, he supposed he could start on the next Flash article, but why would he do that when he could think about Jongdae instead. 

But thinking wasn’t enough, and Sehun opened the messaging app on his computer and texted Jongdae. He glanced out from his screen, finding Joohyun focused on her work. It wasn’t like she could tell he wasn’t working, right? His rapid typing would sound like he was writing. Right?

Sehun spent the next thirty minutes texting Jongdae, spinning around his chair while he waited for a response, eagerly placing his hands back to the keyboard again when Jongdae replied. Perhaps today was also a slow workday for him, as he replied within seconds rather than minutes or hours today.

Another thirty minutes later, Sehun was just about to ask Jongdae what he wanted to do tonight until Joohyun interrupted him with a knock on their desk. 

“Hey,” she said, catching Sehun’s attention, “tell Jongdae I said hi.”

Sehun’s eyes widened for a second before he fought to control his expression.

“What do you mean,” Sehun hastily said, “I’ve been working.”

“Please,” Joohyun said, “You’ve been grinning at your computer this whole time, and I doubt that’s the face you make when you’re writing about the Flash. And you don’t think I know what’s your typing rhythm when you’re writing? You typing for a few seconds and stopping before typing something again tells me that you’re talking to someone. Probably Jongdae. Tell me I’m right.”

“You’re right,” Sehun grumbled, hiding behind his screen. Nothing could get past Joohyun. Nothing too big anyways. 

“Good,” Joohyun said, “now please go back to work. How are those Flash articles coming?” 

“Oh, you know,” Sehun said with a shrug, “It’s…coming.”

“Coming as in the next hour, or coming as in by the evening?” Joohyun asked. 

“Coming…soon,” Sehun said, squirmed, feeling like an inexperienced intern. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Joohyun stared a second longer before looking back to her work.

Sehun promised himself he would write after checking his email, finding a draft sent back to him from a copy editor. Seconds were supposed to feel like minutes, but after what felt like three seconds, he checked the clock and realized another twenty minutes had passed without a single word written. With a sigh, he pulled up a blank document and stared at the screen. He typed an opening sentence, deleted half of it, and finished it before deleting the whole sentence again. After three measly sentences, there he was. Stuck. Again. But Sehun would’ve been fired long ago if he couldn’t manage to write even when he felt he couldn’t, so he gritted his teeth and struggled through a terrible first draft.

After night fell, Sehun glanced at the clock over and over again, wondering why Jongdae was late. He promised he’d pick Sehun up tonight, but after fifteen and twenty minutes passed, Jongdae was nowhere to be seen. What if he was hurt? What if he was struck by a car? What if he was laying somewhere on the street, bleeding out? What if he was _d—_

“Sehun!” a voice called out as the door of his office slammed open.

Sehun sighed, slumping in his chair for a second before standing up and running towards Jongdae. Jongdae held Sehun tightly, pressing his head against his chest.

“You’re here,” Jongdae said, peeking up at him, “You’re really here.”

“Is there…any reason why I wouldn’t be?” Sehun said, rubbing Jongdae’s back. 

Jongdae stared at him for another second, a second Sehun froze and stretched to admire the way it looked like all the stars of the sky were dancing in Jongdae’s eyes. 

“I just…missed you,” Jongdae said, “and I'm glad you're here. that’s all.”

“I missed you, too,” Sehun smiled, “Where to tonight?”

“Baekhyun wanted to see that new movie out,” Jongdae said as Sehun packed up his bags, “Joohyun do you want to come?” 

“Sure,” she smiled, closing her laptop, “You’re looking well, Jongdae. I’ve gotten used to you in black hair.”

“Oh, this?” Jongdae laughed, running a hand through his hair “Don’t worry, I’ll bleach it again when I get the chance.” 

“Oh, you’ve been busy? I hope you still get the chance to rest,” Joohyun asked, putting on her coat. Sehun picked up her bag and carried it for her.

“Yeah work’s been…pretty hectic lately,” Jongdae said. 

“Wow…I would’ve thought you and the rest of the police would’ve been on vacation since the Flash is taking care of all the crimes nowadays,” Joohyun said. Sehun bent down, pretending to tie his shoe.

“Well,” Jongdae began to say, “We still have to take in the criminals and process them at the station.” 

“But that’s not your job,” Joohyun said. She was always too smart.

“The morgue,” Jongdae said before pausing to take his time, “has many bodies suspected of dying of more sinister reasons than old age or heart attacks. Thankfully, the Flash takes care of current cases, so we have the time to review old ones.”           

“Ah, I see,” Joohyun said. That answer had seemed to satisfy her. “I’m glad he came to our city. I’m less afraid to walk by myself now.” 

“Yeah he’s like Central City’s guardian angel,” Jongdae smiled, opening the door before they all exited their office and headed down the hall, “someone like that has to have the biggest, most fearless heart ever.”

Sehun almost choked but disguised it as a loud cough.

“Yeah for sure,” Joohyun said, watching as Jongdae thumped Sehun’s back, “I absolutely agree. He’s amazing.”

As they took the elevator down, Joohyun glanced at Sehun and widened her eyes. 

“Oh, you’re burning up,” she said, putting a hand on Sehun’s forehead. Sehun could feel heat rise to his face and puffed up his cheeks, struggling to keep the secret inside of him. Jongdae looked at him and pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh.

They met Baekhyun downstairs in the lobby where he sat, busy with his phone. Sehun could tell no doubt that he was searching for any crimes and prayed that no one would try anything now.

Today was supposed to be a regular night out. Just a regular night out at a restaurant with Jongdae, Baekhyun, and Joohyun. Sehun would have enjoyed this night fully, but Baekhyun kept his phone on the table and not so subtly peered at the screen when it beeped.

"A fight at some residential area," Baekhyun whispered in Sehun's ear.

"The police can handle that," Jongdae whispered back. 

Sehun attempted to gesture with his face that Joohyun was _here_ and they were in _public_.

"You brought a police scanner with you?" Joohyun asked after dabbing her mouth with a dinner napkin.

Sehun was about to stammer out a big no. No, of course not. Why would he ever have a police scanner haha. What would he even do with it?

"Yeah, I'm watching it for a friend," Baekhyun cheekily said before hovering his mouth near Sehun's ear, covering it with his hand this time, and whispering, "Bar fight two blocks over?"

"New rule," Jongdae said, "No phones at the table." 

Sehun stared at his food and pretended to look as innocent as possible. It was difficult to maintain his neutral expression when Jongdae tried to snatch Baekhyun’s phone away, unsuccessful as Baekhyun held it above his head. This was perfectly normal. Yeah. These were regular conversations forensic scientists had all the time.

"Anyways," Sehun said as Baekhyun continued to harshly whisper his case for the brawl in a residential area over the bar fight while Jongdae not so softly whispered back _what the fuck Baekhyun._  

"What if there was a bad crime," Baekhyun whispered.

"The police exist, Baekhyun," Jongdae whispered back. But it wasn’t very much of a whisper at all. "Let them have jobs every now and then."

"The people trust...You Know Who," Baekhyun said, "not the police."

" _Anyways_ ," Sehun tried again, feeling himself disassociate when he noticed the way Joohyun was watching them, "which movie are we watching tonight?"

Jongdae finally snatched Baekhyun's phone out of his hands and shoved it in his pocket before he calmly said he didn’t mind watching one of those superhero movies that was released last weekend.

Luckily after that, Baekhyun shut up...about the police scanner at least, so Sehun could focus on spending time with his best friends. For the first time in a while, he felt that he was just Oh Sehun. Jongdae's boyfriend. Baekhyun's and Joohyun's friend. Just a writer with a typical morning to evening shift. Just a writer with deadlines that he'd kill before they could kill him. Just an average citizen of Central City. He had forgotten what this felt like because he had been torn between so many things to do, so many people to think about. He liked helping others when he could, but it was sometimes tiring to physically do everything all alone. Maybe he'd have to open an application for sidekicks. Or hero friends. He preferred that term. Not that he thought there was anyone else like him with powers in the city of course.

The movie was a good two hour distraction, letting Sehun forget everything but the film in front of the screen, Jongdae's hand in his, and the popcorn that they all kept passing around to the chagrin to the other people sitting behind them.

But after the movie, of course this.

Of course.

Sehun supposed that if he really wanted a break from everything, he'd have to unplug himself from social media, the news, the police scanner, and hide in the woods to isolate himself. Or lose his powers.

Because nothing ever stopped.

They were only five steps out of the theater when Jongdae gave Baekhyun his phone back and three steps out of the door when Baekhyun's phone was bombarded with all the updates and notifications he had missed. He suddenly gasped, shoving the phone into Jongdae's face.

"No," Jongdae said after one look. He tightened his grasp on Sehun's hand, "too dangerous. That's too dangerous."

"What's too dangerous?" Joohyun asked.

"Captain Cold, Golden Glider, and the rest of their crew just struck a warehouse holding expensive paintings meant to be relocated to the museum. You should go now before it's even more dangerous," Jongdae said.

Sehun saw a storm manifesting on Jongdae's expression and braced himself. Jongdae and Baekhyun often found bodies of the security guards or anyone else that attempted to stop this crew pierced with bullet holes and impaled with icicles. Sehun, too, didn't want Joohyun anywhere near them, so he hailed a cab and gave the driver money to take her home. 

"What about you?" Joohyun asked, taking a few steps forwards before stopping, looking like she wanted to ask a thousand questions. She only settled for these next ones. "You're going home, too, right? You're going to stay safe, too. Right?" 

"Yeah," Sehun said, feeling the knot in his stomach tighten as he lied again, "Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow."

At least momentarily satisfied, Joohyun nodded and stepped into the cab. Sehun shut the door to the cab and watched the cab safely drive away in the opposite direction, blending in with the rest of the lights and the sights around the city.

"Let me come with you this time," Jongdae said before Sehun could say anything, "I know you're going to go stop them, and there's nothing I can say that'll change your mind. So let me go with you to protect you." 

"I'll be...okay," Sehun shook his head. But he was less sure this time. Captain Cold was Central City's most wanted, and the police usually waited until they had considerable backup until they engaged her.

"There are going to be at least five people against you, Sehun. I know you've got powers, but these are the most dangerous criminals in this city," Jongdae said, "They won't hesitate to kill."

"I'm fast," Sehun insisted, "If they can't catch me, then they can't kill me."

"She's _dangerous_ ," Jongdae repeated.

"Then please stay," Sehun said, pressing a hand on Jongdae's shoulder, "Guide me so I won’t be lost. Stay safe and give me someone to come back to.” 

He took off before Jongdae had a chance to argue, ducking in a back corner to change. Baekhyun suggested that Sehun should wear his suit underneath his clothes to make changing easier, but after much protest and disagreement from literally everyone else, Baekhyun promised he'd compact the suit so it would be easier to carry around. Right now, he had squeezed it into a small box no bigger than the palm of his hand that only they could open with their fingerprints.

After changing, Sehun raced off into the night, awaiting directions.

This was familiar now. Baekhyun guiding him when he didn't know where to go. Jongdae standing by ready with tactics, moral support, and someone to talk to when he felt afraid. 

After racing towards the sketchier part of the city, near a whole street full of warehouses, Sehun located the right warehouse with Baekhyun's help. He phased his face through the walls to see what was happening inside. A group of people stood in the far corner, back turned to Sehun with no weapons drawn. Sehun hesitated before phasing his whole body through and crouched behind a large painting.

"Everything all right so far?" Jongdae asked.

"Yeah," Sehun said. His heart wasn't beating its way into his throat, and he could think clearly. "Nothing bad yet. Just a few hired thugs."

What was fear when Jongdae was here anyways? 

"Make a cool entrance," Baekhyun said, "say something cool." 

"Make a _safe_ entrance," Jongdae corrected, "how many do you see?" 

"Five," Sehun whispered.

"Do you see Captain Cold or Golden Glider?" Jongdae asked, "Run if they’re here."

"No," Sehun whispered, checking behind him, only to find wooden crates and sealed boxes, "There's no sign of them." 

"That doesn't mean they're not there. Please stay alert. It would be helpful if we could access the cameras around the building and the area, Baekhyun," Jongdae said.

Sehun already knew Baekhyun’s answer was a big no, but he spared him from having to answer by diverting the subject.

"They’re not…really doing anything," Sehun said, watching them stand around a few covered paintings without doing anything. "I should strike now, right?"

"Yeah," Baekhyun said, his tone brighter but slower, like he was trying to forcibly sound fine, unaffected by Jongdae's last request. "Want a counter? Five..."

Sehun prepared to spring forth and attack, pressing a hand to the ground as he waited. 

"Four."

Sehun looked out across the warehouse and counted the guns he could see. It would be a good idea to take those first. Criminals without guns were less brave.

"Three."

Seconds felt like minutes, and Sehun wanted Baekhyun to hurry up before these men started to move the paintings. He was tempted to start now, and—

"Now what do we have here?" a smooth voice suddenly spoke. Sehun quickly turned his head around. "The Flash finally paid us a visit?"

Sehun noticed the dark blue parka with a thick, fur-lined hood, the blue goggles, the big gun with a glowing blue core, and knew in this moment that he was absolutely fucked. 

"Hey," Sehun said as casually as he could given the situation, given the person in front of him. He tried to ignore the sound of Baekhyun and Jongdae panicking in his ear and giving him conflicting advice. Baekhyun told him to sock her right across the face. Jongdae told him to go. Sehun did neither and determined his best course of action was to not move even a single centimeter. If he were honest, he felt frozen under Captain Cold's gaze anyways.

"What's up, Captain Cold. It's nice to finally meet you," Sehun said, impressed his voice hadn't trembled yet. 

A small smile slowly spread across Captain Cold's face. 

"Likewise, Flash," she said, raising her cold gun at him.

"Anyways," Sehun hastily said, "I—"

But she, unlike some other people he had faced, did not waste time chatting and shot her gun at him. Sehun dove to his right, and though he was fast, he felt as if he only just narrowly avoided the blast of ice that entombed the painting he had hidden behind in a block of ice. That sound attracted the attention of the five other henchmen Captain Cold had hired, and they pulled out their guns and began shooting at him. 

"Fuck! When did the Flash get here?" 

"Shoot him."

"We can't even fucking land a shot." 

"Doesn't matter. We'll kill him." 

Loud alarms and blaring sirens were going off in Sehun's head, and he had to press his lips together to avoid vocalizing the long scream he so badly wanted to let out. While it was easy to dodge bullets as he raced around the warehouse, Sehun felt his heart pounding so hard at his chest he was afraid it’d shatter his ribcage. Just when he thought he was beginning to feel better about dealing with these sorts of situations, this had to happen. He had only stopped one or two gunmen at a time before, but with six dangerous people in the room, one of them Central City's most dangerous criminal, he felt severely out of his depth. 

"Stay calm," Jongdae said, "Focus on surviving first. Things will be fine. You will be fine."

That was all Sehun needed. He took a deep breath, and when the men reloaded their guns, he zoomed straight at them, pulling their guns out of their grasps. Before they could even register what had happened, Sehun dropped the guns far away on the other side of the warehouse. A second later, they glanced at their empty hands and froze. 

"We have to go _now_ ," one of the men said, running for the back exit, "Take the paintings and let’s get out of here before the rest of the cops come." 

"I don't back down from a fight. Never have, never will. So where are you going?" Captain Cold shouted, shooting at Sehun so relentlessly that he only dodged her blasts because of his speed. The men only stared, not willing to engage any further because they were unarmed.

“Are you trying to tell me I hired cowards?” Captain Cold said, taking a break from shooting at Sehun to bellow at the men. They squirmed, none willing to even step closer to Sehun. 

“Are you fucking _kidding_ me?” Captain Cold said, turning her gun on the men, “I will fucking sh—” 

"Let me handle him," a voice suddenly said.

Someone entered from the back entrance, illuminating the whole room in a golden light.

Golden Glider.

Sehun was absolutely fucked. Again.

There Golden Glider stood, holding her gold gun with two hands. Bathed in a dazzling light, she looked as if she was glowing. Only light shone from where her eyes should have been.

"Take the paintings and get out first. Those idiots need someone with good authority to make them behave, or we'll lose everything," she said.

Captain Cold paused, shooting another few bursts at Sehun before nodding.

"Don't fall. And if he hurts you, tell me. I'll kill him," Captain Cold said before striding towards the men, barking out orders. 

"He won't," Golden Glider said, "he's never killed anyone before. I don't think he's capable."

With that, she shot directly at the space above Sehun's head with what looked like molten gold.

"Fuck!" Sehun finally shouted, diving to the right before finding the space where he had just stood melted. Sehun stared at the liquid gold that oozed from the walls for another second before she shot at him again.

But it was easier to dodge Golden Glider's shots. Maybe she was less skilled than Captain Cold.

This was what Sehun thought before he saw her leap up and start skating through the _air_. As blades popped out of her shoes, she skated on a path of gold that materialized in the air like twisting, shimmering ribbons. It was one thing to see Golden Glider on news broadcasts and printed newspapers, and it was another to see her streak through the air in person. If Sehun weren’t so concerned with not dying, then he would've stared with wide eyes at this beautiful sight.

He stared, transfixed, for two seconds too long, having to scramble twice as fast to dodge the next few shots she sent him. It was harder to keep up with her while she was in the air.

"I need options," Sehun shouted, doing his best to avoid the blasts that seemed to come one after the other without pause, "how do I get in the air to take her out?" 

"Jump," Baekhyun said, "can you jump really high?" 

"I don't think so," Sehun said, taking cover behind a box, "It's not like I'm Superman." 

"No, you're the Flash. So can't you run on the walls?" Jongdae asked, "Or jump on the boxes around and time it right so you can take her to the ground?"

Sehun only let out a swear in response, narrowly missing another blast after the box he crouched behind melted. Nevertheless, he leapt onto another box before jumping onto a taller box nearby. He only had enough time to dodge the molten gold that rained from the sky before he changed his mind and twisted his arms to send a whirlwind at her.

The strong winds knocked her from the air, but before she could fall, Sehun ran underneath her and sent another whirlwind to break her fall. After she safely landed with a gasp, he twisted the gun out of her grasp.

Just as he was about to drop the gun at her feet, he was struck by a cold blast. It would have pierced through his skin instead of only grazing his shoulder if he hadn’t managed to twist his body at the last moment. But the momentum was still strong enough to send him sliding into a corner and hitting the wall with a thud.

"Sehun?" he heard Jongdae said, "Sehun? Are you all right? Say something." 

Sehun only managed a groan, trying to push himself up off the ground with weak arms that threatened to give way at any moment.

"Sehun?" he heard Jongdae repeat, his breath hitching in his throat.

"I'm..." Sehun said, finally managing to at least drag himself onto his knees. He panted hard, exhausted from all the running, all the fighting.

"I hope you weren't thinking that you could get away with hurting her," Captain Cold's voice smoothly echoed across the room.

"That's it," Jongdae loudly announced, the sound of something rustling echoing through his comms, "There’s a cruiser around the perimeter. I'm stealing it and coming to get you, so stay right there. Don't die." 

"Bro, that's like ten minutes away," Baekhyun said, "will you make it in time?" 

No one questioned how Jongdae would steal a cruiser or at least persuade the officers on duty to let him borrow it. He was Jongdae after all, and he loved Sehun more than he respected any rule.

"It'll be five if I speed," Jongdae said.

Sehun didn't have time to speak, to tell Jongdae to stay away because Captain Cold had pulled the trigger again. It took all his desire to live, all the speed crackling in his body, and all the remaining energy to pull himself off of the ground and run away. But the pain and the cold were not a good combination, slowing him down considerably. He gasped, nearly stumbling as he narrowly dodged another blast of ice.

"It'll be so easy to put you down," Captain Cold said before Golden Glider tugged on her arm. 

"Come on," she said, "Let's just go. You've already injured him, and we have the paintings. The cops will be here any second. We've wasted enough time here." 

Sehun breathed heavily, staggering forwards, having to lean on the wall for support. 

"Get out of there," Jongdae shouted, "Sehun, just _go_." 

But Sehun didn't have the energy, and it was all he could do to avoid the continual blasts of ice that Captain Cold shot in his direction. Golden Glider's pleas fell on deaf ears it seemed.

By now, Sehun was slowing down, tired by the pain, the exertion, and suddenly found within the next second that Captain Cold had managed to land a lucky shot on his thigh, causing him to drop to the ground.

"So this is the Flash," Captain Cold said with a sneer, "this is the Flash that made other criminals tremble, too afraid to do anything? What would they say now? What would they do now if they saw this?"

"Let's just _go_ ," Golden Glider insisted, trying to push Captain Cold towards the back exit, "Don't you hear the sirens?" 

The henchmen had all returned to report they were ready to go, but after noticing Sehun on the floor, they pointed new guns at him. Sehun had to forcibly ignore the racing of his heart, the paralysis he found himself in, and tried to focus on his breathing, on how he was supposed to run as fast as he needed to escape this on one and a half working legs.

"Let's kill him," one of the men said, causing the others to jeer in agreement, their previous hesitancy gone. 

"Hang on, Sehun," Jongdae shouted, his voice buzzing in Sehun's ears, "I'm three minutes away."

Jongdae’s voice was the only thing keeping Sehun from giving up in this moment.

"No need," Captain Cold said, finally turning her attention to Golden Glider. She let her push her towards the evidence. "We didn't come to kill the Flash. We came to get the paintings, so let's go. Until next time, Flash. Rest up."

Sehun gritted his teeth, feeling dizzy when he looked down to see a long, jagged icicle protruding from his thigh. He wondered if it had really impaled his whole leg, but he didn’t want to check the back of his thigh to verify his worry.

" _Freeze_ ," a voice suddenly cried out, causing Sehun to look up. There was a single police officer standing near the front doors of the warehouse, stalking forwards with a raised gun. One gun against seven. One gun against Captain Cold.

He turned his attention to Sehun, eyes widening when he saw the icicle protruding from Sehun's leg.

"Are you okay, Flash?" he asked.

"Go," Sehun called out, gesturing him with a hand, "just go. Wait for backup."

With a shaking arm, he pushed himself off of the ground and stood, leaning on his good leg before hobbling over to the wall. He wished he could heal faster because he wasn't sure how much more of this pain could he take.

"I'm your backup," the police officer chuckled, "how do you say we—"

Out of nowhere, one of Captain Cold's men fired their gun at the police officer without any warning. Sehun screamed as he dashed forwards with his arm stretched out, ignoring the agony that burned up his leg as he raced forwards. 

He was fast, but not fast enough. Not fast enough to run across the warehouse in the split second needed to be able to do something. Not fast enough to snatch the bullet out of the air, his hands just barely missing it by a millimeter as he reached forwards and grabbed nothing but empty air. But he was fast enough to catch the policeman before he could fall to the floor.

When that second was over, Sehun stared at the policeman, dead in his arms, and froze.

"Oh my god," Golden Glider said, pressing her hands to her face.

Captain Cold sighed, shook her head, and shot the henchman in the shoulder with her cold gun.

“You don’t listen, do you?” she said as the man screamed, knees buckling as he grabbed at his shoulder.

"Let's go," Captain Cold said, grabbing Golden Glider's arm and leading her outside. "We've had enough of this."

Sehun cradled the policeman's body and stared at the way his bulged eyes stared unblinkingly up at him. A single gunshot wound split apart the middle of his forehead. 

"Come on," Sehun said, feeling a lump rise in his throat as he lowered the man down. He placed his hands over the man's chest and pressed down. "Be alive. You _have_ to."

He pumped the man’s chest with his arms for a few seconds more before realizing that did nothing. He moved back, vibrating his hands so fast that electricity started crackling from his fingers. This had to work. This would work. He then slammed his hands down onto the man's chest, sending his body jerking.

Sehun breathed shakily, some strange part of himself screaming at the man to get up, to walk it off despite the blood pouring from his head.

"I'm sorry, Flash," someone suddenly said behind him, "he's gone."

Sehun felt a familiar touch to his shoulder, turned around, his chest heaving as he saw Jongdae. 

"I'm sorry," Jongdae said. He knelt on the ground beside Sehun, gaze darting to the policeman for a second before he stretched his arms out. "I'm so sorry, Sehun."

Sehun launched himself into Jongdae's arms, not caring that more police cars had pulled up, plunging the area in blue and red lights. He heard footsteps around him, feet pounding against the cement, and the sound of garbled voices on the radio. But he ignored everything, focused on burying his head in the crook of Jongdae's neck and hugging him as tightly as he could. 

"The Flash?" one police said.

"Oh my god it's the Flash," another police officer said, "You know him, Jongdae?" 

"The Flash?" Jongdae said, rubbing Sehun's back, "No, but he looked like he needed a hug. An officer's down."

The officers exchanged a look, a long, weary look before stepping forth to find the body behind Sehun.

Jongdae whispered some instructions in Sehun's ear, and Sehun nodded, finding the last vestiges of energy to change out of his Flash clothes and hide in the back of a police cruiser under some blankets. Sehun shivered as he waited for Jongdae, finally feeling the full force of the blistering pain from the cold gun on his shoulder and his leg. The ice had begun to melt, but he didn't want to see what his wounds looked like.

What seemed like three seconds later, Jongdae ran into the car, slammed the door behind him, and checked to make sure Sehun was in the back before speeding off, running through light after light as he hurried home with the sirens on.

"They wanted me to stay on the scene," Jongdae said, swerving left just as the light turned red, "but I told them to give me five minutes to make a phone call. You're going to be fine, okay?"

Sehun sniffled in response.

"Are you okay?" Jongdae asked in a gentler tone, looking up from the mirror to check on Sehun before he flicked his gaze to the road again, "I'm so sorry, Sehun...I shouldn't have left you alone. I shouldn't have let you go alone. And now look what happened. You got hurt."

Sehun couldn’t respond, only struggling to keep his eyes open. He would not let himself close his eyes because he was afraid to see the dead policeman’s face burned into his mind. 

Baekhyun was waiting at the parking garage of their apartment complex, and just as soon he parked, the car’s wheels screeching against the pavement, Baekhyun opened the door and helped Sehun outside.

“I’ve got you,” he said as Jongdae supported Sehun’s other side. Sehun didn’t say anything, just let them help him towards the elevator. Jongdae’s phone started buzzing, and he swore as soon as he checked the ID. 

“Work?” Baekhyun said.

“Work,” Jongdae said, “they saw me at the crime scene, and I made an excuse that I was calling you here.”

“Tell them my…car broke down or something,” Baekhyun said, glancing at Sehun, “They’ve already seen your face so you’ll have to go, but I’ll stay with him.”

“You don’t have a car,” Sehun managed to mutter out, feeling his feet drag on the ground.

“I want to stay,” Jongdae said a little more forcefully, “I _have_ to stay. We’re not the only forensic scientists.”

“It’s the curse of being the best,” Baekhyun said as he jammed the button of the elevator until the light lit up. “Everyone wants us.” 

“Where’s Dr. Lee?” Jongdae said, “Why is it us and not him?”

“Doesn’t he only do serial killers and the harder cases?” Baekhyun said, pressing the elevator button one more time, “because he teaches more at the university nowadays.” 

“When was the last time Central City had a serial killer?” Jongdae exhaled as the doors slowly slid open with a ding, “He only teaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and today is Saturday. So why can’t he fucking cover some of our duties sometimes?”

Sehun glanced at Jongdae as he helped him inside the elevator, noticed his clenched jaw, and thought it was best no one else got in Jongdae’s way. 

Jongdae’s phone would not stop ringing, and Jongdae waited until they had finally set Sehun down on the couch and until after Baekhyun had wrapped Sehun in blankets before he snatched up his phone, swiped to answer the call, and gave whoever was on the other end an earful.

“I _said_ I was _going_ ,” Jongdae yelled into the phone, “Go send for another fucking forensics team if you want it done sooner.”

He threw his phone into the couch opposite of Sehun and rubbed his face in his hands. His shoulders slumped, and Jongdae breathed deeply for a whole second before he turned to Sehun. 

“I am sorry…I am so sorry, Sehun,” Jongdae said, his expression softening, “but I will come back as soon as I can.”

Sehun jerked his head, the only response he could muster. Jongdae bent down to kiss Sehun’s forehead and turned to Baekhyun as he straightened up and pulled on his jacket. 

“Take care of him,” Jongdae said, “Call me if you need any medical supplies.”

Baekhyun nodded, wringing his hands together.

“Please come home soon,” Sehun said in a very small voice. 

Jongdae nodded and dashed out the door. Sehun heard loud, thudding footsteps outside the hallway for a few seconds until silence fell once more.

Baekhyun rolled up Sehun’s sleeve to his shoulder and cut through his pants to expose his injured thigh.

“Third degree frost bite,” he said as he examined Sehun’s wounds, “You’re lucky you heal fast.”

“How long will it take to heal?” Sehun asked. He didn’t want to look because he didn’t want to panic.

“For someone like you,” Baekhyun said as he ran the kitchen and turned on the hot water of the sink, “maybe two or three hours.” 

Sehun sank back into the couch, pulling the blanket slightly over his head. Baekhyun returned minutes later with a large bowl of warm water and several small towels.

“This is my fault,” Baekhyun said as he wrapped Sehun’s shoulder with a warm towel. Sehun hissed and begged his body to heal faster.

“It isn’t,” Sehun said through gritted teeth, “What are you even talking about?”

“What if I didn’t check the police scanner? What if I didn’t tell you to go? What if I wasn’t always so enthusiastic to send you out to danger?” he asked, not meeting Sehun’s eyes.

“But you did,” Sehun said, taking a deep breath as Baekhyun placed another warm towel on his thigh, “and it’s okay. It was bound to happen someday. I can’t save everyone.”

He tried not to think of the policeman but still sank into the couch and stared at the lights above when he felt the sting of new tears pierce his eyes.

“Oh,” Baekhyun said, looking up. He paused for a moment before he spoke again in a softer voice. “I meant you. I’m sorry about you. I’m sorry you had to suffer like this.”

“I’m fine,” Sehun said, “I heal quickly. I can dodge bullets. But that man couldn’t.” 

“At least you didn’t mean to hurt him,” Baekhyun said, readjusting his sleeves, “It’s different. I don’t know why you’re feeling guilty if you didn’t directly cause his death. I don’t know why you wouldn’t feel proud that at least you tried to save him.” 

“It’s not different,” Sehun insisted.

Without another reply, Baekhyun stood up to walk to the kitchen. He liked to hum and sing while cooking, while washing the dishes, but it seemed today was not a day for a cheery tune. Only mechanical noises echoed from the kitchen. A second later, Sehun heard soft clinking, water trickle from the faucet, and the crackle of a flame. Something heavy plunked down on the stove.

He looked around Baekhyun’s apartment, noticing something missing.

“Where’s that new backpack you just bought?” Sehun asked, “You wanted to show me it sometime.”

“Oh,” Baekhyun said, turning back for a moment, “I…thought it would be there by the sofa? Maybe it’s lost among the boxes.”

There were still so many unpacked boxes cluttering the living room. Who knew what they held. Books? Clothes? Dishes? But what Baekhyun did deem as most important, the first thing he had to unpack, were the framed pictures of him, Jongdae, and Sehun that rested around the coffee table and hung on the walls.

A picture of them when they were in high school. Sehun had snapped a selfie of himself with Jongdae and Baekhyun sprawled out on the grass behind him. Jongdae beamed, raising two fingers in the air, but Baekhyun only stared at the camera and tilted his head that he covered with the hood of his black sweater. This was a little after they had first met Baekhyun, when they both had to pry a small smile, a slight laugh from his sealed lips.

A picture of them on his first day of college with Jongdae. Baekhyun had teased Sehun, swearing he could see the tears in his eyes, which was why Sehun’s lips were slightly pulled down into a pout while Baekhyun and Jongdae brightly grinned. It was a terrible day for him even though it was the beginning for them. The last two years of high school without them by his side? Two years too long.

A picture of them when they were at Sehun’s college graduation. Sehun grasped his cap and his diploma in his hands and grinned for the camera, his eyes crinkling into little crescents. Jongdae and Baekhyun stood on either side of him and each kissed his cheek. They grasped posters they had made for the occasion, posters with Sehun’s name and face on them. Sehun remembered how loudly they cheered from the bleachers when he walked across the stage.

That was all there was in Baekhyun’s photos, in Baekhyun’s life. Sehun and Jongdae. It was a pity Baekhyun didn’t let anyone else other than them close. He had a big heart, and Sehun always thought he should find another person to share it with.

The kettle boiled, the shrill whistle pulling Sehun from his memories. He flexed his shoulder, finding the pain lessened now, but he did not and could not look down at his leg.

A minute later, Baekhyun returned and carefully sat down next to him.

“Here,” he said, passing him a pink mug with little corgis on it, “to keep you warm." 

“Thanks, Baekhyun,” Sehun said, accepting the cup with both hands, “You made me your special drink?”

“Anything for you,” Baekhyun smiled, “I even added five marshmallows instead of three.”

Sehun smiled and took a sip of the hot chocolate after blowing on it for a few seconds, feeling it warm him instantly. Baekhyun bustled about, checking Sehun’s wounds before rewrapping it with a warmer towel.

“I think you’ll be fine,” Baekhyun said after he removed the bloodstained towels and gathered them up in his hands, “It’s just slightly red now.”

“Thanks, Baekhyun,” Sehun said, pausing a moment before quickly adding, “I think you should be proud of yourself for helping, too.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips and shook his head.

“I’ll never make up for the past,” he said, “but I’ll help you make a better future. I think you’ll fully recover soon, so I’m calling it a night. Call if you or Jongdae ever need anything.”

Sehun watched him go, gently shutting the door to his room. He heard water pour from the sink for a few minutes as Baekhyun washed his hands and his face. A minute later, a thud as Baekhyun fell onto his bed. It seemed he didn’t bother to change out of his clothes.

Sehun finished the last of his cocoa before walking over to the sink, washing it, and putting it on the drying rack. He felt better, his muscles a little sore, and placed his bloodied towels in a plastic bag before walking back to his apartment right across the hall. After gently shutting the door to Baekhyun’s apartment, he heard a familiar jingle of keys.

“Jongdae,” he called out, not even bothering to lower his voice at this hour, letting his feet pound on the hallway as he ran. “You’re home.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it back sooner,” Jongdae said, opening his arms to catch Sehun as he flew in for a hug that lasted a few seconds. But to Sehun who perceived seconds as minutes, this moment seemed like a year to him. A good eternity spent.

“You seem better,” Jongdae said, examining Sehun’s arm and leg once they were inside, satisfied to find that they had healed completely, “I’m glad.”

“Yeah,” Sehun nodded, “I am.”

“Then let’s go to bed,” Jongdae said, touching Sehun’s arm, “so you can rest.”

As they brushed their teeth together, Sehun couldn’t look at himself in the mirror. He stared at Jongdae’s reflection instead, noticing every wrinkle, every little detail.

Sehun was fine when they washed the blood from their hands and changed clothes. He was fine when they snuck under the covers and turned off the night. He was fine when he checked his work emails, and he was fine when he felt Jongdae trace little lightning bolts onto his skin. He was fine when they said their goodnights, and he was fine when he shut his eyes. 

But he was not fine a second later when his eyes flew open, the mental image of the dead man flashing in his mind. He gasped, shoulders heaving, and he held his head in his hands as he remembered.

“ _No_ ,” Sehun said, taking a shuddering breath.

Jongdae was instantly up, throwing back the covers to rub Sehun’s back.

“Jongdae, he…” Sehun said, feeling his throat constrict, “he was there to help me, and I failed him. He must’ve been in so much pain.”

“It was an instantaneous death,” Jongdae softly, “Don’t worry. He didn’t suffer at all.” 

Sehun’s face scrunched up, and he took a sharp breath before turning beside him and collapsing into Jongdae’s chest, finally bursting into tears.

“I can’t do this, Jongdae,” Sehun cried into Jongdae’s chest, clenching the fabric of his shirt, “It should’ve been you that night…It should’ve been you with these powers instead of me. Someone like you would’ve been able to save everyone.” 

“But it was you,” Jongdae said, continuing to rub Sehun’s back, “You saved me first. Who even cares if the lightning was supposed to strike me or not? What happened that night was you saved me, and you saved so many people after that.”

“Except that man,” Sehun said, feeling his shoulders shake. No matter how hard he tried to stop crying, he couldn’t, so he let his words blur together, too tired to try and coherently speak between his tears.

“You cannot save everyone,” Jongdae softly said, “just like I cannot solve every case. But think of the other people you already saved, right? Yes, that man died tonight, but think of the hundreds and thousands who still get a tomorrow because of you.”

Sehun shook his head and cried harder. It wasn’t right. What he could do was the impossible. What he had was the impossible. So what he should’ve been able to do was the impossible, and the impossible would have been saving everyone. Leaving no one behind. Letting no one die when he was right there to save them. 

“It’s okay,” Jongdae murmured, “You did your best. I’m proud of you, always proud of you, and I’m glad you’re safe.” 

Sehun somehow fell asleep that night thanks to Jongdae’s gentle touches, soft singing, and hushed reassurances. But it was a restless sleep, and Sehun was haunted by nightmares of bulging eyes, bullet wounds, and ice that pierced a golden sky.

When he woke in the morning, he curled up tighter into himself, tighter into the blankets as he stared out into their room.

“You should take a sick day,” Jongdae said, bending down to smooth Sehun’s bangs from his forehead. Sehun’s eyelids fluttered, but he kept staring with wide eyes.

“Can’t,” he said, hiding half of his face under the blanket, “I need something to keep myself busy so I don’t think about it.”

“Okay. I’ll walk you to work,” Jongdae said after a pause, “but if you want to go home, tell me, and I’ll be there before you even know it.”

Sehun nodded again, and Jongdae pressed a kiss to his forehead before he left their room and headed to the kitchen. As Sehun listened to Jongdae make breakfast, he lay in bed for a while longer and stared at the ceiling.

This morning, Sehun didn’t use his speed at all. This morning, he slowly took a shower, let the steam rise in the air for minutes and minutes and let the hot water pound on his back and press his bangs into his face. When he stepped out, he wiped the mirror to stare at himself. He didn’t like what he saw, so he fled after getting dressed.

At breakfast, Jongdae talked to fill the silence, keeping Sehun grounded as he responded every now and then. Every time Sehun remembered yesterday, remembered that man, remembered that gunshot wound, Jongdae pulled him back to today and reminded him of tomorrow. He suggested plans for the weekend, perhaps another movie after dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. Sehun silently nodded. Anything was fine as long as it was with Jongdae. 

As he walked Sehun to work afterwards, Jongdae looked both ways before they crossed the street because Sehun couldn’t be bothered to look. He even led them to Jitter’s when Sehun almost forgot.

But he never forgot Soojung, and it was with great effort that Sehun mustered up the strength to ask her how she was doing. Today, there was a cut on her cheek, and she wore a long-sleeved shirt even though it must’ve been hot behind the counter. Sehun stared and wondered if she had been present during the explosion. He didn’t remember saving her, so that must’ve meant he missed her when the bomb went off and caused those injuries. That was probably his fault.

Soojung mustered back her own tired _I’m fine_ , and didn’t ask what Sehun wanted because she already knew. 

After Jongdae paid and guided him to the second counter, Sehun heard the next customer order two Flashes and a cappuccino and felt his stomach twist.

When they reached his building, Sehun insisted he could walk up to his office by himself, so Jongdae kissed Sehun good-bye, made him promise to call if he wanted to be taken home, and dashed off after checking his phone. Too bad Jongdae wasn’t the one with the speed. Sehun stared at Jongdae’s retreating figure and thought Jongdae would’ve been a better Flash. A faster Flash. A faultless Flash. A fearless Flash.

Sehun rode the elevator up silently and let a loud sigh when he saw Junmyeon argue with one of his co-workers in the main room. Today was not the day for this.

“I was supposed to be the headline today,” Junmyeon complained, dangling the newspaper in front of his co-worker's face and smacking the headline with his other hand, “but why is Captain Cold here?” 

“Sorry,” the writer said, pressing a hand to her forehead. Sehun dropped his gaze and tried to walk past them without being noticed. “This is more important right now. Didn’t you hear about the cop that died?”

Junmyeon sighed and dropped the newspaper on the writer’s desk.

“Captain Cold,” Junmyeon said, putting his hand down, near his waist before lifting his other hand up and placing it above his head, “Me. I know you’ve been working hard, but fix it please?”

“Once it’s released, it can’t be fixed,” the writer shook her head.

“Then write me in the next one,” Junmyeon said, “Look, here’s a list of things I’ve accomplished, and a list of things I’ll accomplish, so—”

Then he spotted Sehun, and Sehun took that as his cue to speed walk to his office and pretend he never saw Junmyeon.

“Sehun!” Junmyeon said, bounding up to him. He slapped Sehun’s shoulder in greeting, and Sehun was glad his arm was completely healed now. “How are you? You don’t look so good. Is everything all right?”

Sehun shrugged. He thought he was doing a decent job managing to keep his emotions from manifesting on his expression, but perhaps he failed.

“You can tell me,” Junmyeon coaxed, “I’ll help you in anyway you can.”

Sehun took a deep breath.

“Can you bring back someone from the dead?” he said, hating how hoarse his voice sounded. He didn’t know why he told Junmyeon this.

“Oh, Sehun,” Junmyeon said, his expression softening. He reached forwards to hug him tightly, but Sehun only patted his back awkwardly. “I am so sorry for your loss. If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. Were you close with the deceased?” 

“…No,” Sehun admitted, “I didn’t know him well, but—” 

“Oh,” Junmyeon said, his tone flatly dropping. He blinked and smiled again. “Then be happier. Don’t waste your tears on people you didn’t care about. People die all the time. We’d get nothing done if we wasted time mourning on every little loss.”

“A death is a death,” Sehun curtly said, his lips sinking downwards, “but a headline is just a headline. I don’t think you understand.”

He turned on his heel and strode to his office, slamming the door shut and locking it when he got inside. 

Joohyun looked up at him with concern when he all but dumped his bag on the floor before hiding his face in his hands as he sank into his seat.

“Sehun,” she said, immediately standing up to walk to him, placing her hands on his shoulder. Her touch was light. Gentle. “What’s wrong?”

Sehun breathed and didn’t respond for a minute. Joohyun waited until he spoke. 

“Someone died yesterday,” Sehun said.

“I’m sorry,” Joohyun said. Sehun felt her hand rub his back before it was gone. She left his side for a moment before dragging her chair next to his. “Let’s work like this today then.”

Sehun nodded.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Joohyun asked as she pulled her laptop over and placed it next to Sehun’s.

Sehun shook his head. If he did, then he might break down again, and he was here for work, here for a distraction.            

“I don’t think I can go on,” Sehun took a shuddering breath, “not like this. Too many people expect things of me, things I don’t think I’m even capable of, and to let someone down like this…”

He didn’t care if Joohyun found out or not in this moment. He wanted her to know, wanted to tell her right now. But she only listened and finally spoke when he ran out of words to say.

“In the blackest of nights…if you were to stop going just because you couldn’t see where you were headed, then what would happen to you?” she asked, continuing when Sehun didn’t respond, “No, you have to keep going. The brightest days are still ahead. Just hang in there.”

Sehun felt his eyebrows knit up, and he took a shaky breath before nodding.

“Breathe,” Joohyun said, rubbing his shoulder, “just breathe with me.” 

Sehun took a shaky breath and breathed in…and out…and in…and out…

“Joohyun,” Sehun said, making up his mind, “I’m the F—”

“I’m here for you,” Joohyun said, missing what he wanted to say, “anytime, anywhere. Anything at all.” 

She patted his hand and checked his expression carefully before continuing to work. Sehun breathed deeply one more time, feeling slightly better. He listened to the sounds of her fingers dancing across her keyboard before opening a blank document, ready to write. About the Flash? No. Never about the Flash. He didn’t even want to see what headlines he supposedly wrote about himself…not that he really checked those Flash articles anymore anyways.

This morning, he wrote about what he really cared about. The people he had met.

Today’s article was about Kang Younghyun who taught at the local youth’s center on the weekends. After saving enough money, he had bought enough guitars to teach a whole class. Even then, so many kids wanted to learn with him that they had to share instruments. Some weekends he taught music, other weekends poetry, but he never accepted any money in return. Money shouldn’t stop anyone from learning music or learning anything at all, he shrugged as he told Sehun one morning at Jitter’s.

The more he wrote, the less Sehun thought about yesterday. The more he wrote, the less he remembered the bullet wound, the blank eyes, the rigid body. The more he wrote, the less difficult it was to breathe.

Sehun was by no means fine, but he felt better when he finished writing his article and even agreed to go for a coffee break with Joohyun in the break room. As he stared at the TV while Joohyun made her coffee, he saw a familiar shade of red and looked away.

“Here’s a recap of the Flash’s best saves,” the reporter said, “From robbery to explosions, here’s our city’s hero doing his thing.”

Sehun wrinkled his nose at the word hero and turned his back to rip open a packet of instant coffee.

“Oh!” Joohyun said as she turned around holding her coffee mug as she stared at the screen, “He hit that robber with a good uppercut punch. That’s Seulgi’s favorite move, you know. Where do you think he learned that from?”

Sehun busied himself with the coffee machine and tried to act as normal as possible.

“Is he a military man?” she continued to ask, “he doesn’t seem like it, but maybe he’s a new soldier…But really, _who_ did he learn that from? That technique is pretty good.”

Sehun let out a nervous laugh and accidentally poured too much hot water into his cup. 

“It doesn’t look very good to me,” Sehun said, snatching a few napkins from the dispenser and placing them on top of the puddle of boiling water. “Seulgi does it better.”

“Oh, yeah…you know how to do that too, right?” Joohyun said, “maybe the Flash knows Seulgi, too.” 

Sehun escaped to his office carrying his steaming hot mug, feeling Joohyun’s gaze on him. 

He worked hard during the day, typing away his thoughts. And it all worked. He thought he had forgotten everything and left work with a lighter heart.

As soon as he came home, he found Jongdae and Baekhyun seated on the couch. They were probably talking about him because they had suddenly quieted when Sehun entered, and it was not like them to be this silent when they were together.

Sehun put down his bag carefully before squeezing between them.

“So,” Baekhyun said, “How about—”

“How are you doing today?" Jongdae said after shooting Baekhyun a look.

“Better,” Sehun said, “It was a quiet day. I missed that.”

“ _So_ ,” Baekhyun said. He looked like he had to stop himself from speaking too fast, too loudly before he gave up.

“When do you want to try again?” he asked, “I was listening to some police scanner updates, and the police were taking care of some situations in your absence.”

“Well, that’s their job,” Sehun said, staring blankly in front of him, “That’s what they’re supposed to be doing. That’s what they have been doing long before I started…this.”           

“So?” Baekhyun said.

“Let him rest, Baekhyun,” Jongdae said, “he’s probably had a long day.”

Sehun swallowed, and suddenly a beep from Baekhyun’s computer announced a new notification.

_High speed pursuit on the freeway. Suspect is not armed but swerving dangerously to other cars. Backup requested._

“That sounds something like your speed, right?” Baekhyun grinned.

Sehun slouched into the couch and sighed. So much for a lighter heart.

“The police can handle it,” Jongdae said, “they’re trained to.”

“Yeah,” Sehun said, rubbing his face with his hands, “I’ll let them take that. I think I want a break.” 

“You’re giving up the Flash?” Baekhyun said, suddenly standing up.

“I didn’t say that,” Sehun wearily said, “I just need a break. I can’t…I’m not like you guys. That was the first body I’ve ever seen, the first death that I could have prevented, and I just…don’t want to see that again. What if I mess up? What if I cause more harm than damage again? I should take time off.”

“ _What_?” Baekhyun said, raising his voice, “You…you have this _gift_ , Sehun. You help others, and people look at you like you’re an angel. You’re this city’s hero, and if you can help others, then why don’t—”

“They were doing okay before me,” Sehun weakly muttered, “they were managing like an average city before the Flash.”

“No they weren’t,” Baekhyun said, his voice almost a shout, “people like _me_ were harming others, and if something could’ve been done about…if I had powers, then I would be out there taking down anyone who even so much as breathed funnily at another person.” 

Sehun placed his hands over his eyes and exhaled.

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said, “If you still feel guilty for your past, you look after the city. I can’t do this anymore.”

Baekhyun looked stricken, blinking once, twice before walking away. 

“My only talent destroys,” Baekhyun said as he opened the door, “I can’t do that again.” 

After the door gently shut behind Baekhyun, Jongdae scooted over, placing his arm over Sehun’s shoulder and held him closer. 

“I don’t know when he’ll be over that,” Sehun said, leaning closer to Jongdae, “that was ages ago…when he was so young. Everyone knows he’s a changed person now.”

“But he doesn’t,” Jongdae said, “it’ll probably take a long time before he feels better. Maybe he thinks working with you on Flash cases is his way of making peace with his past, reconciling the things he could’ve done instead of what he did do.”

“You know,” Sehun said, “if he actually used his skills, then it’d be a lot easier to do this job I think. Think of how more efficiently we’d be able to track criminals.” 

“That’s up to him,” Jongdae said, “just like giving up the Flash or not is only up to you.”

“What would you do?” Sehun asked, “I really do want to take a break, but Baekhyun does have a point. If I can help, then why should I rest?”

Jongdae looked at him and smiled. 

“My sweet Sehun,” he said and looked at him in such a way that made Sehun feel overwhelmed, like he was running a million miles per hour even though he was right here, grounded in this moment. “Everyone deserves a break every now and then. If the city doesn’t fall apart when you sleep, then it won’t break when you take a short vacation.” 

Sehun sighed and rested his head on Jongdae’s shoulder. He could fall asleep like this, with Jongdae singing him one of his favorite songs, Jongdae whispering things Sehun already knew, whispering those three words his heart never grew tired of hearing.

And he did.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

Sehun wondered if he should have taken a break from the Flash a while ago. He also wondered if this vacation should be permanent. Now, the only things that worried him as a writer were deadlines, the quality of his writing, whether changing this word or taking it out would make his writing better. Now, the only things that worried him as Jongdae’s boyfriend were when Jongdae was going to come home, when was the right time to call Dr. Lee and tell him once and for all to fuck off for not believing Jongdae, and when he would finally catch that second murderer and bring closure.

But there was minimal worry during his vacation, really.

On the first day of his vacation, Sehun was lucky enough to have Jongdae with him for most of the morning, as both of them left for work at the same time. But it was an average work day, really. Writing. Editing. Writing. Talking to Jongdae. Writing. Talking to Joohyun. More writing.

But he hadn’t spoken to Baekhyun since that night and was not used to the silence, the lack of rapid fire texts Baekhyun would send when he was bored. 

That night, someone tried to steal an armored car, but the police handled it properly. There were no fatalities. Sehun only thought of the man that had died twice that night before falling asleep.

On the second day, Sehun awoke to find Baekhyun cooking them breakfast because one day apart was too much for them especially since they had spent all their lives together after the day they first met. He made amends with his special hot chocolate with five marshmallows, but Sehun didn’t think there was anything to mend. He knew Baekhyun’s heart well, just as Baekhyun knew his, but that didn’t mean they saw Baekhyun’s past the same way. Baekhyun still wanted to atone, but Sehun thought he was done atoning along time ago. Nevertheless, it was good to have him back. A day without him was a day too long. 

This morning, Sehun heard sirens and saw a police car blur by as he walked to work, but he didn’t feel the urge to run. No, he took his time, walked slower than usual, and headed to Jitter’s for his morning coffee. This time, he chatted with Soojung a little bit longer until he left for work. 

Today, he convinced Joohyun that they should just spread a blanket in the grass and do their work in the big park near their office. Joohyun had agreed after some persuasion, but after thirty minutes of attempted work, Sehun stretched out under the sun, listening to the soft clicking and clacking of Joohyun’s keyboard.

“There was an attempted robbery,” Joohyun said, scrolling through her phone as she checked the news.

“Did the police handle it?” Sehun asked, looking up at the sky, finding only a few spare clouds drifting in the horizon.

“Yeah,” Joohyun said, “they arrested a man and there were no fatalities. I wonder where the Flash is.” 

“The city doesn’t need him,” Sehun said, closing his eyes, feeling the urge to nap as he enjoyed how the sun’s warm rays danced on his skin.

“What they did in fifteen minutes, he could’ve done in three seconds,” Joohyun huffed, “We need him. And you need to get back to work.” 

Sehun reluctantly pulled himself up and tried to work again. He had long abandoned any attempt at writing his Flash articles and hoped that the mystery author, who he thought was still Jongdae, would continue to write and submit in his name. 

That night, he had dinner with Jongdae, Baekhyun, Joohyun, and Seulgi, and for the first time in a long time, Sehun felt like who he was before the lightning struck him. Sehun. Journalist by day, tired human by night. He fought deadlines, not criminals, and he wasn’t bothered without using his speed. If he could function and live just fine without his speed before, then there was no point in using it for meaningless things.

No, Sehun liked taking his time, and when he stretched and watched everyone around the dinner table burst into a laughter that felt like a second to them, he stretched time out to a minute and memorized this moment, this exact moment with their smiles frozen on their faces before he blinked and everyone resumed chattering and laughing at a normal pace. To them. 

The third day began normally. Even though it was a Saturday, Jongdae had to process some DNA for some murder case, but it was only DNA processing, so Jongdae refused to come in earlier than usual. Sehun supposed even if he was still the Flash, there were some crimes that he would not be able to prevent like murder. Unless someone was assaulted in public areas, there was no way to know who was attacking who until the body was found the next morning.

Jongdae sent him a text later saying he had some business to do around City Hall, so he’d come home a little late, though promised to bring home some ice cream from that retro parlor Sehun really liked.

So Sehun spent his Saturday evening eating takeout on the couch by himself, counting the seconds for Jongdae to come home before the door slammed open as Baekhyun rushed inside.

“Turn on the TV,” he said breathlessly, “check the news.”

Sehun knew what Baekhyun was implying and made no move to do it, so Baekhyun snatched up the remote and turned it on himself, flipping to a news channel. 

“Breaking News, Central City,” Sunyoung said, the wind blowing through her hair as she stood outside in front of some federal building. Her usual cheerful demeanor was gone today, replaced by a solemn look. “A civilian has just found a bomb strapped to the bottom of their car, and the bomb squad has been deployed to stop it. They—”

“Oh no,” Sehun said, hands rushing to clutch his face, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. He took a ragged breath of air and stood up, trying to focus on breathing. “Oh, Baekhyun…I can’t…I _can’t_.”

Sehun hid his face in his hands as he stalked around the living room. Ever since he was struck by lightning, life seemed like a blur, one catastrophe striking right after the other before Sehun had time to blink. One hundred miles an hour to ten thousand before Sehun even had time to breathe.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said, catching him by the shoulders, “If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

“You don’t understand,” Sehun said, taking another shaky breath, sliding his hands down to face Baekhyun “what if someone dies because of me again?”

“Then I guess don’t understand,” Baekhyun said with a shake of his head, “but people will die if you don’t help.” 

“I…” Sehun said, dropping his voice, “This is such a big burden to bear. I hate doing this alone.”

“I’ll be with you on comms, remember?” Baekhyun said, tapping Sehun’s ear, “You’re not alone.” 

Sehun continued shaking his head.

“I can’t do it,” Sehun said and felt his hands start trembling, his knees growing weaker, “I’m _scared_ , Baekhyun…I…”

“This just in,” Sunyoung said, interrupting them and causing Sehun to turn around, “the police have just reported that their bomb squad’s attempts to disarm the bomb have only sped up the timer. There are only five minutes left. As a reminder, if you are within a thousand meters of City Hall, please evacuate now.”

“Wait,” Sehun said, feeling his heart stop as he stared at the TV, recognizing that building at last. 

“What?” Baekhyun asked, “What is it?”

“Jongdae’s there,” Sehun said, turning to look at Baekhyun, their stricken gazes mirroring each other.

There was no other choice, no other moment to hesitate, and Sehun was gone before Baekhyun could say anything more.

“There’s too many people here,” Sehun shouted to Baekhyun once he reached the scene a second later. The police had taped off the immediate area around the bomb, but Sehun ducked under the tape and approached. One specialist was sweating, trying to figure out which wires to cut. Sehun wondered why they didn’t have one of those robots to fix the situation so these people could flee. Why were they still here, even when it was going to blow up?

“What do I do now?” Sehun asked, “There are still five minutes left.”

“I…have no idea how to disarm a bomb,” Baekhyun admitted, “can you run everyone out? Do you see Jongdae?” 

“I don’t see Jongdae,” Sehun said, scanning the crowd. Most of them were police officers, others were workers running out of City Hall. He heard a shout from the specialist and inched closer.

“Two minutes and thirty seconds left,” Sehun said, turning away after snatching a glimpse of the timer, “the police must have triggered something and cut the time in half. Again.”

He heard Baekhyun swear on the comms.

“I don’t think I can get everyone out in two minutes,” Sehun said, staring around him, “There’s thousands of people here, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun sucked in his breath and offered him only silence. Every second counted, and Sehun was torn between his options. Should he run out some people and pray for the others that he had to leave behind? Forget everyone and look for Jongdae? 

“We have to prioritize,” Baekhyun finally said, “This will suck, but we have to prioritize.” 

“ _No_ ,” Sehun said, pacing back and forth, ignoring the stares, the murmurs of _it’s the Flash! We’ll be okay!_

“I think that’s going to be risky. Almost impossible,” Baekhyun said, “the bomb radius will knock out everyone if people are still running out of City Hall.” 

“I’m the impossible, Baekhyun,” Sehun said, staring around, wondering why he was still talking and not doing _something_ , “If I can’t run out everyone in time, then what’s the point of all of this? What’s the point of me?”

“We don’t even know how far the bomb radius will blow,” Baekhyun said, “What if you move them across the street and they’re still impacted by the blast?”

“Then I’ll move the bomb,” Sehun said, stopping in his tracks, watching the people run past him. Yes. This made sense. “Yeah. I’ll move the bomb.” 

“What?” Baekhyun said, almost shouted, “But what if it kills you?”

“I’ve survived lightning once. A bomb doesn’t seem that bad,” Sehun said, snatching the bomb from the police and taking off before they could even blink.

“Sehun you can’t just touch a _bomb_ ,” Baekhyun shouted, “what if any sudden move causes it to explode?”

“Oh,” Sehun said, already halfway across the city and realizing for another time once again that Jongdae and Baekhyun were always the practical science boys and he was only the writer, “I already did. It hasn’t exploded yet.”

“Okay, oh my…oh my god. Okay…Fuck…you’ll need to drop it off somewhere uninhabited. Somewhere the blast won’t harm anything,” Baekhyun said, the sound of frantic typing loud enough for Sehun to hear. 

“The ocean?” Sehun shouted as he zipped through the city. He didn’t want to look at the bomb in his hands, but he had to, and the red glaring numbers told him he had thirty seconds left. How typical of him and Baekhyun to have wasted time talking instead of acting.

“Perfect,” Baekhyun said, “but can you make it in time?”

Sehun glanced at the timer and picked up his pace. The farther away from the city the bomb was, the less people would be hurt. The farther away from the city the bomb was, the safer everyone Sehun cared about would be. Sehun saw the ocean line coming into view, the dark, rippling waters blending in with the night sky.

With seconds left to go, he used the force of his speed to launch the bomb into the ocean, watching breathlessly as it sank into the ocean before it exploded. He only had enough time to throw his hands over his head, the rumbling sound causing him to stumble, feet sinking into the wet sand as waves splashed on him. After a few seconds, he peeked out of his hands, saw that there was no visible damage, and then collapsed on the sand.

Sehun watched the smoke rise in the air, blending into the night sky like a cloud, and the fires burn across the horizon.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun’s voice crackled in his ear.

Sehun pulled himself up, brushing the sand from his suit as he stood.

“Yeah,” he said, “Rip to the fish. But is everyone else okay?”

“I think you would be able to give yourself a faster answer,” Baekhyun said. 

Sehun zoomed back to City Hall, listening to the sound of Baekhyun cheerfully congratulating him on saving the city once again and saying that he was proud of him. As soon as he arrived, he reentered the chaos of the scene, remembering the swarms of people fleeing City Hall and the surrounding buildings, the police trying to guide them safely without creating a stampede.

But without the bomb, the people stood, blinking in confusion. Instead of debris, the buildings were still whole. Instead of tears, there was…nothing. 

“Is everyone okay?” Sehun shouted, running around, searching for any signs of the dead. He braced himself for someone that looked just like that policeman did, but finally stopped when everyone seemed…fine

“Flash!” Sunyoung called, running up to him as her camerawoman trailed behind, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Sehun said, “thanks. Are you okay, too? Why are you still here? Weren’t you supposed to go with the evacuations?”

“Oh, come on,” Sunyoung said with a laugh, “I’m a reporter. We can’t leave a story even if we’re scared. And knowing that you’re out here makes me feel safe. Can we get a quote from you?”

Sehun stared at her smiling face, her eagerness, the way she thrust the mic into his face, and took a deep breath before he spoke a single message into the camera.

“Can all you criminals like…give it a rest,” he breathed, placing his hands on his hips, “excuse me but these people are just trying to live. So let them live.”

“Bold statement,” Sunyoung said before returning the mic to Sehun, “and one final question. How do you find the courage to do all of this for the city, for people you don’t even know?” 

Sehun blinked. That was simple.

“I don’t think I’m brave,” Sehun admitted, “not at all. But what am I supposed to do when there are terrible people out there killing and hurting others, and I have this…potential to stop them?”

“Well I think you’re brave,” Sunyoung smiled, “and I think the city would agree with me. Then how do you keep running if you say you’re afraid?” 

Sehun paused, hearing Baekhyun hum a sweet tune in his comms and noticing the people crowding around him, watching with a certain soft expression on their faces. Jongdae, who could find Sehun anywhere no matter how crowded the space, stood meters away, watching Sehun with a smile on his face. He had pulled out a phone to record everything, and Sehun had to force the smile that had just appeared from breaking into a grin on his face.

“I love more than I fear,” he said, feeling his heart swell in his chest.

 

 

ϟ

 

 

“I haven’t seen you in a long time. I thought you died,” the clerk said after recovering from a lengthy shock that the sight of Sehun pushing through the doors to his store caused.

The bells continued to chime behind him as Sehun walked further in the store. This time he didn’t look at the display cases and only headed straight to the clerk. 

“I was in a coma,” Sehun admitted once he stood in front of the clerk, “I woke up recently but things have been…busy.”

“I knew it,” the clerk said, snapping his finger, “you wouldn’t just leave without buying something…especially after all the promises you made. And the one you’ll make. You seemed sincere.”

“Did you miss me?” Sehun grinned.

The clerk huffed.

“For a second I thought you went shopping elsewhere,” the clerk said.

“Oh, I could never,” Sehun said, “not when you have the best store in town!”

“Anyways,” the clerk said, feeling his lips twitch up, “you here for more looking or finally buying?”

“Is what I placed on hold still there?” Sehun asked. 

“No,” the clerk shook his head, “Sorry.”

“Oh,” Sehun said, a little softer.

“What did you expect?” the clerk said, “You’ve been gone for almost a year.”

Sehun jutted his bottom lip out.

“I have new shipments though,” the clerk hastily said. Jongdae had always told him that his pout was deadly, and Sehun only realized it was not just Jongdae that did whatever he wanted once he pouted. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find something you like.”

“Okay,” Sehun said, pulling up a chair at the counter, “What do you have?”

But after forty-five minutes of looking, Sehun left the store without buying anything. 

“I should have known,” the clerk grumbled.

“I’ll be back,” Sehun promised, “Be patient.”

“I think that you should be telling that to your—” the clerk said before Sehun waved and finally left the store, the bells tinkling to announce his departure.

 

 

ϟ

 

 

Sehun was still technically on his break from the Flash, but he still helped with little things here and there. Easy things. A cat in a tree. A missing bike. Once he even helped someone push their car down the road because it had broken down and they were stranded in the middle of the freeway. He didn’t know if he could handle another catastrophe like a bomb again, but luckily, the city had settled down, and the biggest crime that recently occurred was a break-in that the police handled themselves.  

But unlike before, Sehun continued to use his speed even if there was nothing to do. He spent his free time running around the city, running to clear his mind, to forget everything except the wind on his face, the ground beneath his feet, and the electricity crackling behind him. Sometimes he wondered if he ran fast enough, he’d lose himself.

He stopped if he ever heard _help!_  

Sometimes when he was close enough, he’d hear the cry of a mother whose kid fell into the deep end of a pool. Swimming wasn’t his thing, but if the absent lifeguard wouldn’t save her, then he would. Other times, it was simple, like a woman whose bag had been snatched by a robber. Shouldn’t everyone know by now that they could not outrun him? And other times, it was some kid crying about his homework. If it was science, Sehun could only pat his shoulder and wish him good luck. If it was writing help, Sehun would give him some advice before rushing off.

But today, as Sehun slowed down to enjoy the morning bustle, he heard a very loud, clear _help! Flash!_ and hurriedly investigated the source of the voice. He zoomed into an alleyway and resisted the urge to call the man by name. 

“Do you need help? Sehun asked, making sure his face was extra blurry and his voice exceedingly disguised.           

“Flash!” Junmyeon said with a grin, “Hello!”

“I’m kind of on a tight schedule,” Sehun lied, “Are you in danger? What’s the problem?” 

“I didn’t think you’d actually hear me,” Junmyeon said, striding forwards, already reaching forwards with a hand.

“I’m…glad I could be there for you,” Sehun said, anticipating the slap to his shoulder before it actually came, “What’s up?”

“I need your advice,” Junmyeon said, looking around the alley as if this was some shady drug deal.

“Alright,” Sehun said, “I’ll try my best.”

“So,” Junmyeon said, “you make the headlines all the time.”

“I don’t do it intentionally,” Sehun said, already guessing what Junmyeon would say next.

“Is that it then?” Junmyeon said with a sigh, “Is it because I want it too much?”

Sehun didn’t have anything to say because Junmyeon kept talking. 

“I just want to be on the headlines,” Junmyeon admitted, “like you. That’s what I really want.” 

“Why?” Sehun asked, genuinely interested. 

Junmyeon pressed his lips together, looking around again before leaning closer to Sehun.

“My father is a busy man, so he only reads the front page of the newspaper,” Junmyeon said in a softer voice, “he says that whoever can make the front cover is important enough for his attention. So that’s why I want to be on the headlines, on the front page of the newspapers. But I’m not. I just want to make him proud, you know?”

Suddenly, Sehun felt a little bad for dismissing Junmyeon as some typical self-obsessed, arrogant, rich son of a politician. He had slightly misjudged him, it seemed.

“I’m sure your father will always be proud of you, but to make the headlines, do…something great,” Sehun said, not sure what to say, “be great.” 

Some reporters dreamt of the day their news article would be on the front page of the newspaper and their website, but Sehun never really had any ambitions for those types of articles, so he didn’t know what advice to give.

“How?” Junmyeon said.

“Firstly,” Sehun said, “don’t die. Murdered people make the front page, but you want to be there to see your father’s reaction, right?”

“Yeah,” Junmyone laughed, “of course.” 

“Okay,” Sehun said, thinking hard. How was he supposed to give advice about something he didn’t even want? “Then…do something from the heart.”

“The heart?” Junmyeon asked, “Like. Donate a generous check to the newspaper?”

“No,” Sehun said, waving his hand, “I mean…do something that lets your heart speak for you. Do something so great that everyone can feel the your love when they read about you.” 

Junmyeon stared at Sehun, and his eyebrows furrowed a bit, something shifting in his expression as he considered Sehun’s words.

“I’m opening an orphanage soon,” Junmyeon said, his expression finally relaxing, “Is that good enough for front page? Is that good enough for my father?”

“Yeah,” Sehun said, hoping that Junmyeon would be able to see his smile through the blur, “Yeah. I think so.”

“Thanks, Flash,” Junmyeon beamed. 

“See you around,” Sehun said, nodding before he sped off into the distance.

He ran around the city for a while longer before calling it a morning and going to work. There, he puzzled over how odd the sight of his name on the front cover of their newspaper’s website was. These Flash articles were apparently so popular they made headlines all the time. People would come to him and quote lines he supposedly wrote, and Sehun felt terrible every time. 

After leaving work early, he visited Jongdae and Baekhyun at the lab. He didn’t bother to knock when he went to the lab because it was just Jongdae and Baekhyun. So this time, he opened the door, pushing it forcefully with a slam and began to say from the top of his lungs that he was fucking _ready_ for dinner, only to find Jongdae and Baekhyun staring at him. And Dr. Lee. 

“Hello, Sehun,” Dr. Lee wryly said, “we don’t have visiting hours.”

Sehun felt himself freeze up for a second before he spoke.

“I was here to take them home since they’re working overtime. You’re paying them more for this, right?” Sehun said. Baekhyun and Jongdae exchanged a look, but Sehun didn’t stop here. Dr. Lee was their boss, but he wasn’t Sehun’s. 

“They’ll be done soon,” Dr. Lee said, adjusting his grip on his cane. 

“Okay,” Sehun said, heading for the couches near the far back of the lab, “I’ll wait.”

He sat down, crossed his arms across his chest, and stared.

It seemed Dr. Lee was tougher than Sehun thought and kept them there for another hour there, perhaps out of pettiness. They weren’t even working on an urgent murder case or something that required them to stay late. Just Dr. Lee’s personal research. Sehun slumped on the couch, staring at them as one single sentiment blazed through his mind. Fuck Dr. Lee.

Jongdae had explained the research to him a few times at some attempt at a conversation Dr. Lee would allow, but the first time, Sehun zoned out and forgot what Jongdae said. The other times, he had no idea, absolutely no idea what Jongdae was telling him.

Two hours later, Dr. Lee finally let them go home. As Sehun eagerly strode to the elevator, he passed by Dr. Lee’s office. The door was slightly open, so he peeked in, finding a few vials of some blue fluorescent liquid resting on the corner of the desk. But he didn’t care. 

At home when Jongdae had gone to throw out the trash, Sehun slid closer to Sehun until their shoulders bumped together and lowered his voice. 

“Do you ever think that Dr. Lee…is lying about the case?” Sehun asked.

He didn’t specify which one, but from the tone of his voice and the way he whispered, Baekhyun understood. 

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun said with a shrug, “not really. He said Jongdae was his brightest pupil and enjoyed teaching him, even gave him a job here. Which of course offends me because I’m right here, too, but. Why would he be lying about something when there’s no way he can lie? The police were all there that night. Eyewitnesses. Jongdae.”

“But we’re still missing the second murderer,” Sehun said. 

Baekhyun shifted.

“Do you ever think that Jongdae could have imagined it?” Baekhyun said, “Not that I don’t believe him, but—”

“Never,” Sehun said, “That’s not possible. If he said he heard two voices, then he heard tww voices. If he says there were two killers, then there were two killers.”

Jongdae’s word was everything.

If he said Sehun could do anything, then Sehun could do anything. If Jongdae said that he’d tear the earth apart and shoot the stars out of the sky for him, then he would. So if Jongdae said something when no one else believed, then the obvious other choice was to believe him a thousand times harder.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun spent at least ten minutes at work the next morning staring at his screen.

 

 

THE FLASH VISITS LOCAL KINDERGARTEN

 

By: Oh Sehun

 

 

Sure, he did that, but he didn’t _write_ that. So who did? And shouldn’t they be taking the credit that they hid under Sehun’s name?

He scanned the prose to see if it was familiar. This writing style was not immediately recognizable to him, but the sentiment was. Wrinkling his nose, he read as the writer praised the Flash’s heart and his generosity. All Sehun did was hang out with some kids and speak at their school, perhaps in the teacher’s hope of promoting that don’t touch guns, don’t do drugs, don’t drop out kind of thing. It wasn’t that much. But the author, hiding under his own name, added their glowing and high opinion of him after presenting the facts of his visit. It couldn’t be Baekhyun because his witty tone and continual digs at Superman were missing. So… 

It was Jongdae. 

It had to be? 

Sehun was less convinced nowadays, but he was sure that only Jongdae talked about him and the Flash this way. 

“Joohyun,” Sehun said, trying to make sense of this, “Did Jongdae ever email you any of his writing?”

“Why would he?” Joohyun said, looking up at him, “Is he writing a research paper?”

Maybe Joohyun was in on it. Maybe she was uploading Jongdae’s articles to the paper and editing them. Sehun wasn’t complaining because he did not want to write any of that.

“Did you get my draft for the latest Flash article?” Sehun asked, waiting for her to slip. 

“No,” Joohyun said, bending down to pull a folder out from her bag, “Let me know when you have a draft.” 

Sehun stared before turning back his screen, frowning as the blinking cursor mocked him. His blank page didn’t stay empty for long, and after half an hour, he was almost done with a draft of his next article. Sehun wanted to write about Soojung next, so he promised to ask her for an interview her later. 

While making a cup of coffee in the break room, Sehun avoided watching the television as it showed more footage of the Flash. Someone called his name out of nowhere, and startled, he almost knocked his cup over.

“Sehun!” Qian greeted him with a smile, her hair perfectly styled, dress shirt and pencil skirt neatly ironed.

“Hello, Qian,” Sehun said, “is everything okay?” 

She had figured it out, hadn’t she? That he hadn’t written any of the articles? Was she going to accuse him of plagiarism? Was it even plagiarism when the author plagiarized his name instead? Oh my god was he going to get fired? Would he have to work as a ghostwriter for politicians like…like Junmyeon?

“I just wanted to say,” Qian said, “great work with the Flash articles. The public loves reading them, and they’ve been the articles that everyone looks forward to reading the most. You’ve really captured how the city feels about the Flash.” 

She stretched out her hand, and Sehun hesitantly took it, his arm flopping around as she firmly shook it. 

“…T…hanks?” Sehun managed to say.

“You always do your best,” Qian nodded, “I know you were hesitant about this, but you’re doing great.” 

Sehun was at a loss of words, so all he did was nod, make a hasty excuse, and disappear with his coffee back to his office.

“I saw Qian in the hall,” Sehun said, “she was in a good mood, so if you wanted to ask her anything, now’s probably a good time.”

“Oh?” Joohyun said, “what did she say?”

“She said the Flash articles were well received and written well,” Sehun said.

“Good for you, Sehun,” Joohyun smiled, “See? What was there to worry about?”

“Yeah…” Sehun said, sinking into his chair, “I guess.”

It seemed everyone else had heard Qian congratulate Sehun and took it upon themselves to visit his office to personally wish him well and compliment the Flash articles again. After the seventh person knocked on his door for the same thing, Sehun had enough and packed his bags. 

Jongdae wasn’t home yet, so Sehun went for a long walk to clear his head. He circled around the department stores, visited the park to sit on one of the benches, and then headed to Jitter’s.

“Sehun?” Soojung said, raising her eyebrows when he was next in line, “twice in one day? Do you have a big deadline or something?” 

“No, I came to ask you something,” Sehun said, “Do you have time right now?”

“Oh?” Soojung said, “Let me see.” After making sure there were no more customers in line, she wiped down the countertop once before sitting at an empty table with him. Soojung poured him a cup of coffee on the house, and he thanked her while holding the mug in his hands.

“First,” Sehun said after taking a small sip, “How are you?”

“Good,” Soojung nodded, “And you?” 

“All right,” Sehun said.

“Fix that so you’ll be able to say you’re good,” Soojung pointed emphatically at him, “without lying.”

“Okay,” Sehun smiled, “You’re not lying, too, right?”

“No,” Soojung returned the smile.

“So that means your sister’s back?” Sehun asked.

“Yeah,” Soojung said, her smile brightening, “At least for a bit longer.”

“I hope she stays longer,” Sehun said.

“Is that all you wanted to ask?” Soojung asked, turning around to look for something, “If my boss catches me on break early, then she—”

“Well, I also wanted to ask if you wanted to do an interview with me,” Sehun said, “for my column." 

Soojung’s eyes widened, and she leaned back in her chair as she considered Sehun’s offer.

“Why me?” Soojung asked, “I just work at a coffee shop.”

“Well,” Sehun said, “did you read the last column I wrote? That person was just a waitress at a restaurant a block from here. But all of you have good stories no matter what you do, how you live. I’m sure of it. So…can I?”

Soojung frowned for a second, drumming her fingers on the table after spotting someone accidentally drop a few napkins on the floor.

“A photo isn’t necessary right? What if people look at me and expect a different image before they even read? Expect something that I’m not?” Soojung asked. 

That was a very familiar thought.

“This isn’t about who the rest of the city thinks you are. This is who you think you are and how you want to talk about yourself,” Sehun said, “I’m just here to listen and write.”

“Have you ever had people run away from you?” Soojung asked, “I can’t imagine a shy guy like you could go around asking people for an interview.”

“Yeah,” Sehun admitted, remembering the first few rejects he received after the column first started. “It was hard at first to be brave, but I get paid, so I had to get over it. I generally do this in the daytime in crowded areas so people won’t be afraid of me.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid about you,” Soojung suddenly laughed, “You’re you. Sweet Sehun. Too sweet.” 

“So…” Sehun said, “can I?”

“Yeah,” Soojung said after a pause, “Sure.”

Someone had dropped a mug, the loud, discordant sound signaling that it had broken. Soojung sighed, already standing up to clean it up.

“You can come after hours one day,” Soojung said, “Just let me know when you come in the morning." 

She touched his shoulder and then left to fetch a mop. The person who had spilled the coffee had run to the counter to find napkins, and everyone else didn’t look up from their laptops. So he quickly picked up the pieces of the mug and put it on the table before anyone noticed. He also wanted to clean up the spilled coffee, but thought that was too suspicious, so he left.

After finally coming home, Sehun stepped inside his apartment to find Baekhyun and Jongdae arguing. Jongdae’s voice had begun to rise in pitch, his words slurred, and that was how Sehun knew they had been arguing for a while now. 

“What’s up,” Sehun said, dropping his jacket and his bag on the couch.

“Sehun,” Jongdae said, his shoulders relaxing. He ran to give him a hug before he stood by his side, arms linked through Sehun’s. Sehun glanced at him and knew that was his cue to take Jongdae’s side. 

“How are you doing on this fine evening?” Sehun said, noticing how Baekhyun had crossed his arms together and scowled.

“Wonderful,” Jongdae said, “the police searched through CCTVs and found the bomber.”

“Oh, good,” Sehun said, watching everyone’s body language very carefully. Both of them were still tense. “Have they arrested him yet?”

“No,” Jongdae said, “they’re still trying to locate him. They tracked receipts to find where he lived since you can’t just walk into a grocery store and buy bomb supplies.” 

“So what now?” Sehun asked, “he’s missing?”

“They found evidence of a third bomb,” Jongdae said, “so it’s only a matter of time.” 

“If they found him, then they’ll find the bomb, too. “There’s no need for us to step in,” Baekhyun said.

Sehun tilted his head. That didn’t sound like Baekhyun at all.

“We’re going to look for him?” Sehun asked. He could try to look for the bomber, but even with his speed, it would still take him a while given he didn’t know all of Central City’s criminal hotspots.

“I suggested Baekhyun to use his skills to find him,” Jongdae said, “but he refused.”

“You know how it is,” Baekhyun said with a long sigh, “I just… _can’t_ , Jongdae.” 

“If Sehun can do it even if he’s scared, then can’t you do it just this once?” Jongdae asked. Sehun wondered why Jongdae was pushing Baekhyun now when he had reminded him that Baekhyun still needed time. 

“Sehun listens to his heart more than he listens to his fear,” Baekhyun said, snatching up his coat as he strode past them, “I’m not the same.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Jongdae apologized the next day. It was rare of him to fight seriously with Baekhyun, and he had explained that it was wrong of him to push him to do something Baekhyun didn’t want to do. Baekhyun never held grudges, especially against Jongdae, and promised if Jongdae could cover for him while he pretended to have a sick day, then he’d forget the whole thing. They were Baekhyun and Jongdae, after all. Best friends. Best brothers. Sehun often envied them because they were in the same grade and he was stuck two school years behind them.

But the police still had not found the bomber. The news warned everyone to stay inside if they didn’t have a good reason to be outside, to go home early, to not stay out late. Sunyoung returned to the scene of the last bombing, explaining to the viewers what type of car the bomber had strapped his bombs under so those who owned similar models could be extra vigilant.

Sehun patrolled more and more often in case he could catch the bomber in the act or find bombs before they exploded. So far he had been unsuccessful, and he worried that he wouldn’t be awake if the city needed his help, that he wouldn’t be fast enough to evacuate the area or run the bomb to the ocean if there wasn’t enough time. As he patrolled, he only stopped if he absolutely had to breathe and only if Jongdae called him back home. 

He would often whiz by Jitter’s at night to make sure Soojung hadn’t stayed too late, walk Joohyun home whenever she allowed him to, and stay in the lab just in case. Just in case. It was better to be closer to Jongdae if anything happened. He could run to Jongdae in a second no matter where he was, but even for him, a second might be too late in some situations. He never wanted to realize he was one second too late to save Jongdae.

Sehun’s biggest fear was that the bomb would be placed near Jitter’s, near the newspaper office, near the forensics lab and he wouldn’t be there in time, or no one would learn of the bomb’s existence until it was too late.

So really, after a week of finding nothing, when he was out running one night, he had to blink twice and check three times to make sure what he was seeing was right.

In the alleyway next to the post office, Sehun saw a man wearing a thick jacket and a face mask crouching by a car. No one was around at this time of night, which meant the timer on the bomb was set long enough so the bomb would go off during the day, giving the bomber plenty of time to flee and hide. 

“ _Hey_ ,” Sehun shouted, running up to the man and slamming him to the car. As the man groaned from the force, Sehun checked underneath the car, and sure enough, saw what he didn’t want to see. A bomb. A timer. 12 hours.

The man tried to escape, but a second later, Sehun grabbed him and pushed him against the car again. Sehun tried to think of something cool to say, something Baekhyun would approve of. But his mind was blank because the only thing going through his head was oh my _god_ this was the _bomber_. 

“You stop that,” Sehun said. The bomber thrashed out with a yell. Luckily Jongdae had made Sehun lift weights with him now, so Sehun held onto the man with only a little struggle. 

“You’re the bomber?” Sehun asked. The man remained silent.

“Oh my God,” Jongdae’s voice crackled through his ears, “Where are you? I’m coming to you.”

“It’s okay,” Sehun said, “stay where you are. There’s 12 hours left on this bomb, so there’s no immediate danger. Just call—”

“Wow, Flash,” a familiar voice said. Sehun swiveled around, finding him and the bomber suddenly cornered. 

“Captain Cold?” Sehun asked, hating the way his heart immediately stammered at the mere sound of her voice, “I see you brought Golden Glider and the rest of your crew. Good to see you looking healthy.” 

Jongdae sharply inhaled.

“Baekhyun, give me his location. I have to go to him,” Jongdae shouted, “ _Now_.” 

Sehun shivered as he stared at her fur hood. Her goggles masked her expression, but her lips twisted up into a small smile. Golden Glider stood next to her like a bright sun, burning away the darkness.

“Thanks for your concern,” Captain Cold laughed, “We were hunting this one, too, and you led us right to him.”

She gestured at the bomber with her gun.

“You’re not involved with him?” Sehun asked. 

“I’m hurt, Flash,” Captain Cold said, “You think we’d really do something like that? Set off a few bombs? This is our city. Why would we destroy something I own?”

“I’m fifteen minutes away,” Jongdae said, “just hang on.” 

But what could Jongdae do if he came? Sehun had already faced all of them and barely survived. He should have told Jongdae to turn back and flee to safety, but he was preoccupied with not getting blasted to pieces. So, like plenty of other times, Sehun opened his mouth and talked, hoping to kill time while he thought of a plan. 

“Then why did you track him down?” Sehun said.

“To make sure he stops,” Captain Cold said, “he bombed a place very close to where someone I know works. And he should know he can’t do things like that in our city.”

“Too bad you’re not on my side,” Sehun said, “We could have stopped other people like him together.”

“Oh, there are no sides,” Captain Cold said, “just those who die now or those who die later.”

“That doesn’t make any fucking sense at all,” Sehun blinked, beginning to relax. Captain Cold? Scary? Please.

This was what he told himself at least, in an attempt to force his pulse to slow down.

“Can you just hand him over?” Captain Cold said. 

“So you can kill him?” Sehun asked, “he needs to go in for questioning. What if there are more bombs? We’ll never know if you kill him.” 

“When did I say anything about killing him?” Captain Cold said, “I was just going to hurt him a little.”

“A little,” Sehun doubted. 

“Don’t make me start shooting at you,” she strode forwards, the gun pointed at them, “come on.”

Sehun hesitated, but that was enough for her to pull the trigger, sending that familiar blast of ice hurtling towards him. Sehun moved the man out of the way, watching as the ice shattered the windows of the car and completely froze the door. 

“You’re making this more difficult than it has to be,” Captain Cold said, “he’s tried to kill people. This won’t matter.” 

She did have a point.

“The law will punish him,” Sehun said instead, “You’re not justice.” 

“Then what are you?” Captain Cold said, lowering her gun for a moment, “who are you to be stopping every criminal as if you know what’s right?” 

“But I don’t judge people,” Sehun insisted, “I only stop them if they’re threatening others.”

Captain Cold scoffed.

“One last warning,” she said, raising her gun once more.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said, “I would hand over that guy if I were you. She sounds—”

That pause was long enough, and as Captain Cold gave the signal, her people came at him all at once.

Sehun swore, dragging the man around as he ran. But with the man to protect, Sehun was slower, more vulnerable, finding it harder to dodge a hailstorm of bullets and cold gun. Eventually the men had surrounded them and shot their guns relentlessly. Sehun was forced to let go of the man so he could pluck all the bullets out of the air and drop them before they hit anyone.

“Ten minutes away,” Jongdae crackled into his ear, “hang in there.”

But in the time Sehun left the man’s side to stop the bullets and listen to Jongdae, Captain Cold had reached him and pulled him up by the jacket. Sehun would have tried to do something, but he was busy dodging bullets and making sure none of their shots pierced any windows around the area. He didn’t know if this was a residential area, but he hoped everyone heard the commotion by now and fled.

Meters away, the man begged for mercy, clasping his hands together.

“Which hand do you use?” Captain Cold coolly said, “Just a question.”

“What?” the man asked between rapid, shallow breaths.

“I said,” she repeated, holding the gun to his head, “which hand do you write with?” 

Captain Cold’s crew was good, strategically timing and aiming their shots to keep Sehun away. Golden Glider skated through the air, occasionally shooting at Sehun, but easily missed him.

“Both,” the man blurted out, “I’m ambidextrous.”

Captain Cold shook her head.           

“You should’ve lied,” she said before she shot her gun at both the bomber’s hands, freezing them together in a solid ice block.

Sehun skidded to a stop, hands flying over his mouth as he listened to the man scream and as he saw what his hands looked like now. But in the second it took him to stop, someone shot at legs. Feeling two bullets pierce one of his calves, Sehun suddenly let out a yell and fell to the ground. 

“Go leave him somewhere for the police to pick up,” Captain Cold said to Golden Glider who nodded and dragged the shrieking bomber away. Sehun had fallen over, slumped on his side, and watched as the light began fading away as she left. Captain Cold followed Golden Glider for a few steps before stopping to watch, as if making sure the bomber wouldn’t try anything. 

“Sehun?” Jongdae said, “ _Sehun_ …what’s wrong?”

“Shot,” Sehun said through gritted teeth, “My legs…I can’t run.”

He heard Baekhyun curse, Jongdae stammer out a promise that he was almost there, but all he could do was clutch at his legs, grit his teeth, and hoped he healed faster than he thought he did.

Captain Cold’s men surrounded him and pointed their guns at him. Sehun couldn’t look up, couldn’t face them.

“What now?” one of the men asked.

“Kill him,” the other said, causing Sehun to snap his neck up as he stared at the man with wide eyes. A lopsided grin pulled up one side of the man’s mouth, and he held the gun firmly in his hand, pointing it at Sehun’s head. It was obvious he had killed before. 

“Wait…we have to make sure he can’t run anymore or we’re fucked,” another man said, moving his gun downwards before unloading the clip into Sehun’s leg without warning. Sehun let out a scream, rolling to his left, the only thing he could do in this moment. He heard Jongdae scream, Baekhyun slam his hand into something, but Sehun could not speak, he could not speak in that moment and reassure them that he was okay.

Because he wasn’t. 

Sehun had never felt such pain before, and as he began to breathe faster and faster, he found himself torn between screaming and cursing. But it seemed he didn’t have to decide and let out the loudest _fuck_ at the top of his lungs as he curled up on the ground.

Just because he could heal fast didn’t mean that he couldn’t feel pain, and it took all his willpower to not start sobbing right then and there. Sehun felt light-headed and wondered if he would die like this. Surrounded by ugly men while he bled out on the gritty asphalt with only the moon and the cloudy sky as witness. 

“When we kill him, Central City will be ours again,” the man laughed, pointing his gun back to Sehun’s head, “No more living in fear of the Flash! No more trouble from him!”

“Central City is already ours,” Captain Cold said as she stepped into view, peering down at Sehun. Unlike the men, she didn’t smile when she saw the state Sehun was in. “Haven’t you forgotten that the first heist we pulled since the Flash appeared was successful? We have nothing to fear.”

“But if we kill him,” one man said, “then he won’t get in our way.” 

Captain Cold folded her arms across her chest, considering the proposition before a slow, small smile finally appeared on her face. 

“Restrain him, boys,” she said.

Two men complied and bent down to each roughly grab one of Sehun’s arms. Sehun was too weak from pain and blood loss, so he could only pray that they wouldn’t…actually do it. Wouldn’t actually kill him.

Captain Cold bent down to examine him, and he didn’t have the energy to keep blurring his face, so he gave up and met her gaze. He couldn’t see anything behind her goggles, couldn’t read the neutral expression she hid her thoughts behind.

There was silence save for the occasional words from Jongdae and Baekhyun buzzing in Sehun’s ear. Those panicking words. Those frantic swears.

“Before we kill him,” she said, sending a shiver down Sehun’s spine, “why not answer the question that all of Central City wants to know?”

“Who are you, Flash?” she said before yanking the cowl off of Sehun’s head.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“I don’t know what I expected…but who the fuck are you?” one of the men asked.

“Does anyone have any fucking idea who this is?” another man asked.

“No clue,” someone responded. 

Sehun didn’t have the strength to rip his arms out of the men’s grasp so he could cover his face, too dazed to even bend his head down, too pained to do anything at all except limply lay there and focus on breathing. But if he did have the strength, he would’ve laughed. Imagine being so irrelevant his identity was never in danger. Sehun could relate. 

“You’re just a kid?” Captain Cold said, dropping her cold gun to her side. 

Sehun vaguely heard Jongdae and Baekhyun frantically continue to stream out words and words and words, worry and worry and worry over the comms, but he could not focus hard enough to pick out what they were saying. 

“Jongdae,” Sehun whispered.

“Is that your name?” someone jeered. 

“They’ve seen my face,” he said. 

He wasn’t afraid yet. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Jongdae cursed. Sehun tried to stay calm so the tremor in Jongdae’s voice wouldn’t worsen. 

“No, he’s talking to someone,” Captain Cold said, looming over Sehun. She examined the lightning bolts that protruded from the sides of his head, bent one to the side, and pulled out his comms before throwing it onto the ground and smashing it under her feet. 

Gone were the reassuring voices of Jongdae and Baekhyun. Gone was the last chance for him to say any last things to them. Sehun wished he could have at least told them he loved them one last time. 

And now, feeling alone, Sehun gave in to the adrenaline, the fear, and felt as his heart thundered in his chest and his hands begin to tremble. He looked around, trying to absorb the sights around him. A shady alleyway. A flickering streetlamp. A cloudy sky above with only half the moon in sight. The end of the cold gun suddenly hovering in front of his face. This was not where he wanted to die. This was not how he wanted to die. This was not when he wanted to die. 

A golden light soon appeared, growing brighter and brighter as it approached. It seemed Golden Glider had returned after dumping the robber somewhere for the police to find. But soon, she pushed her way through the crowd with a gasp. Sehun had to look away because she was too bright.

“Sehun?” she said. 

Sehun’s jaw dropped open when he looked up. 

“Wait, Jessica, _don’t_ ,” Golden Glider cried out, shoving aside the men who held Sehun. 

“Soojung?” Sehun weakly said. There was no mask on her face, but why hadn’t he noticed her before? The light had masked her so well, but when she was this close to him, when Sehun was looking for someone he knew, he recognized her.           

“Sehun, oh…” she said, hands hovering over his legs, “oh my…I’m so sor—” 

“Move out of the way. We were just about to kill him,” one of the men said, waving his gun around.           

“Jess,” Soojung said, taking off her jacket and pressing it on Sehun’s leg, “I know him. Please don’t do this.” 

Captain Cold, no…Jessica stood above them, her gun lowered to her side. Her expression was unreadable from behind her goggles, but her jaw clenched.

“Hey… _hey_ ” one of the men said, raising his gun to point at Sehun’s head, “we can’t bend the rules just because you know the Flash. We kill whoever gets in our way.” 

“We kill only if necessary,” Jessica finally said, tightening her grip on her gun. 

“This _is_ necessary,” the man said, gesturing wildly at Sehun, “We kill him, and nothing stands in our way.”

“Nothing’s ever stood in our way,” Jessica said. 

“Yeah, but he’s _a menace to_ people like us,” another man said, stepping closer with his gun pointed out. 

“ _No_ ,” Soojung said, leaping in front of Sehun and shielding him with her body, “He’s kind to everyone, kind to me. He always saves everyone in trouble, and yet he always remembers to ask how I am every day.”

“I do that, too,” Jessica said. 

“Yeah,” Soojung said, “You and him. Two people. Two of the only people in the whole city, the whole world. I do this to make sure you’re not hurt, but you know what you’re doing…it’s terrible, right? Please don’t kill him.”

“I always insisted you should stay out of this if you didn’t want to do it,” Jessica said with a slight frown. 

“Come on,” Soojung pleaded, “can’t we just let him go?” 

“Let him go so he’ll return to stop us every time?” Jessica said. But she kept her gun by her side. 

“Out of the way,” a man said, striding forwards, “I’ll kill you _and_ the Flash. My name will be all over the papers tomorrow.” 

But before he could even shoot, Jessica had already aimed her cold gun and pulled the trigger, holding it for a good five seconds. Moments later, the man dropped dead, frozen solid. 

“Does anyone else have a problem with my sister?” she said. 

Soojung stared at the body for a second before looking up. 

“Jessica, _enough_ ,” she said, pressing harder and harder on Sehun’s leg. “Just come home. Forever. We’ll move to another city and start somewhere new. No more stealing. No more killing. No more any of this.” 

Jessica remained silent. 

“Do you know why I hire men even though I hate them?” she asked.

No one answered. 

“So I don’t feel bad when I dispose of them,” she said before she shot her way through the whole group. Soon, every last man was frozen in a block of ice. Jessica stared at them before kicking the nearest one to her over. The block of ice shattered into pieces as it smashed against the ground. 

Soojung let out a scream. 

“What was that for?” she shouted.

“They were threatening you, and too many guns were pointed your way,” Jessica said, “Everyone in this city should know they’ll die if anything happens to you. Now move out of the way and let me take care of this one.” 

“ _No_ ,” Soojung said, “I really—”

But suddenly, the area was bathed in flickering blue and red lights. 

“This is the police. We have you surrounded. Drop your guns and put your hands on your heads,” a loud voice boomed through the area. Sehun wondered if it was the pain that made him think he heard Baekhyun’s voice. 

“Looks like this is your lucky day, kid,” Jessica said before she grabbed Soojung and ran off. Soojung looked back once, the glow gone, now looking only like the barista Sehun knew. 

Sehun heard footsteps and instinctively hid his face in his arms as best as he could because he didn’t have the strength to reach behind and fumble for his mask in time. 

“Sehun,” a familiar voice cried out, “ _Sehun_. It’s me. You’re going to be fine. Okay?” 

Sehun peeked out of his arms and saw Jongdae run towards him. But he skidded to a stop when he reached him, his eyes widening when he saw Sehun’s legs, blood pooling out. Jongdae must’ve seen something in Sehun’s expression that Sehun wasn’t aware of and took a deep breath. 

“I’m going to get you out, all right?” Jongdae said as he bent down, “Don’t worry.” 

“You’re here,” Sehun said, just about ready to pass out now, “You’ve been with me this whole time, so I’ve never been afraid.” 

Too afraid at least. 

“I’m sorry,” Jongdae said, ducking his head as he carried Sehun to the car. Sehun leaned his head against Jongdae’s shoulder, his vision fading fast. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Sorry for what?” Sehun said, blinking up at Jongdae, struggling to stay conscious. 

“I should’ve gone with you,” Jongdae said, his voice hoarse, “I should’ve protected you better.” 

Sehun mumbled out a few words, causing Jongdae to look down at him. He didn’t know if he was clear, but Jongdae heard anyways. 

“If I couldn’t protect you, then I would’ve at least thrown myself in front of you,” Jongdae said, his eyebrows knitting upwards, “and took all the damage. Look at all this blood.”           

Jongdae laid Sehun in the backseat of the car gently. It was another borrowed cruiser.

“Police?” Sehun said, looking around. The red and blue lights had vanished, and they were alone. 

“That was Baekhyun,” Jongdae said, hopping into the front of the car before slamming the door shut, “he did that for you. He snapped and broke his rule to save you.” 

As Jongdae sped back home, Sehun finally lost consciousness, drifting off to sleep with not fear stabbing his chest, but love warming his heart.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

When he stirred later, Sehun woke up in bed, twisting around the blankets. He rolled over, checking the time and finding it hours past midnight. Jongdae was instantly awake, throwing the sheets off to check on him. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked. Sehun wondered how Jongdae could wake up so easily when he always felt like closing his eyes and going back to sleep. 

“I’m not dead?” Sehun murmured.   

“As if I’d let you die,” Jongdae said, placing a hand on Sehun’s arm, “Baekhyun and I thought it would be too dangerous to take you to a hospital in case they figured out your secret, so we…took the bullets out at home. Everything was sterilized, of course. We tried our best. But your legs should be completely healed by now given your powers.”           

“Thank you,” Sehun said before he remembered, “Baekhyun…the police. How did he do that?” 

“He hacked the computers in the surrounding areas so he could project his voice loudly and make the lights flash blue and red,” Jongdae said. 

“He _did_?” Sehun said sitting up, finding his leg was still sore. 

“He did,” Jongdae smiled, “he’s asleep on the couch outside.” 

Sehun attempted to roll off the bed to talk to Baekhyun, to thank him, but Jongdae placed a hand on his arm. 

“Tomorrow. You should both rest,” Jongdae said.

Sehun nodded before he remembered. 

“You remember Soojung from Jitter’s?” he asked as he crawled back into bed.

“Yes. She’s very nice,” Jongdae said. 

Sehun pressed his lips together. It was not his secret to tell, but he’d never kept anything from Jongdae. 

“She’s Golden Glider. Her sister is Captain Cold,” he said. Jongdae gasped, throwing his hands over his mouth.

“ _No_ ,” Jongdae said, eyes wide, “and you’ve been seeing her all this time?” 

“She’s the one who saved me when they were about to kill me,” Sehun said. Jongdae slowly relaxed. “I don’t think she’s doing this with malicious intent. She’s doing it to keep an eye on her sister.” 

“It doesn’t sound like she’s doing a good job,” Jongdae said, “Her sister killed her men…and she knows your identity now.”

“I don’t think she recognizes me,” Sehun said, “I’m just a writer after all…But she did leave the bomber to the police. Was the new bomb disarmed in time?” 

“Yeah it was extracted and disarmed before anything could go wrong. They have the suspect in the hospital, and they’ll question him when he’s out,” Jongdae said, hesitating before adding, “he’ll probably lose both hands.” 

“At least he can’t try to hurt anyone anymore,” Sehun said. He checked the bandages on his legs despite Jongdae’s protests and expected his skin torn apart, deep holes in his leg. But he found only shallow cuts. Jongdae swatted his hands away and changed the bandage once more.

“I still have to go to work tomorrow,” Jongdae said with a sigh, “But you should stay home to rest.” 

“It’s fine,” Sehun said, “I have to go to work or I’ll always be thinking about what happened.” 

He blinked and suddenly remembered the bomber’s frozen hands, the men entombed in ice, the way one of them had shattered to pieces after Jessica kicked him over.

“Thanks for coming to get me,” Sehun said, taking a shaky breath. A little bit longer, and who knew what would’ve happened. Maybe he would’ve ended up like that, too.

“I just wish I came to you sooner,” Jongdae said pressing a kiss to Sehun’s cheek. He was about to lie down, ready to go back to sleep, but Sehun caught his waist and pulled him closer. It was dark, but Sehun could still see the curve of Jongdae’s lips. He wondered when Jongdae was going to bleach his hair again because this was the longest he’d ever had black hair. 

“What now?” Jongdae laughed, poking Sehun’s cheek.          

“Nothing,” Sehun smiled, “I’m just thinking about how lucky I am that I get to look forward to all the tomorrows with you.”

He kissed Jongdae once, twice, tried for a third before Jongdae laughed and said they had to _work_ , he loved him but he had to _sleep_ or he wouldn’t be able to function tomorrow. But Sehun had a way of getting whatever he wanted, so three kisses turned into four, four to five, and five to uncountable ones until they both fell asleep, bodies and hearts tangled together. 

So, it was only natural that Sehun was very abruptly awakened hours later when Jongdae suddenly shot off the bed with yell, realizing he had slept through all his alarms. 

“ _Baekhyun_ ,” he shouted. Sehun pulled himself to the edge of the bed to peer outside the living room. Baekhyun jolted from his sleep before falling from the couch to the ground with a groan.

“ _Baekhyun_ ,” Jongdae shouted again, “get _up_. We’re late.” 

There was no time for a shower, so Jongdae only brushed his teeth, washed his face, and changed. But there was always time for breakfast, so he ran to the kitchen to start cooking. 

“Sehun, can you please wake up Baekhyun?” Jongdae called out, “if he’s late one more time, Dr. Lee will have a fit.”

It had been Sehun’s fault that Jongdae overslept, so he obediently crawled off the bed and made his way to Baekhyun. Baekhyun had fallen back asleep, mouth slightly open, half his cheek pressing up against the ground. 

“Baekhyun,” Sehun gently said. Baekhyun didn’t even stir. 

“ _Baekhyun_ ,” Sehun said, shaking Baekhyun, “Wake up.”

Baekhyun batted his hand away.

“Shut up, Jongdae,” he slurred. 

“It’s me,” Sehun said, “You’re going to be late for work.”

“Sehun?” Baekhyun said, cracking one of his eyes open, “How’s the leg? You had me worried.” 

“Better,” Sehun said, “Want to check?”

Baekhyun pulled himself up with a yawn and nodded, running a hand through his hair before he gently unwrapped Sehun’s leg.           

“You’re all good,” he said, patting Sehun’s shoulder, “See? It’s just a scar now, but that should go away soon. You’re a legend, Sehun. Wow.”          

Sure enough, Sehun peered at his leg, and what had been nasty scratches yesterday night were now pink scars, the skin almost completely healed. 

“Can you please help me out and use some of your speed to get me through this morning,” Baekhyun said. Sehun laughed and whisked Baekhyun to the bathroom, helping him brush his teeth in a second, washed his face in another. But he refused to help Baekhyun change but at least brought him his clothes from across the hallway. 

“Thanks for saving me,” Sehun said as Baekhyun slowly pulled off his shirt, “I would’ve died without you.” 

“It’s nothing,” Baekhyun waved him off, “digging out a couple of bullets on your leg? Stressful, but nothing. We all did what we had to do. Sorry we couldn’t bring you to a proper hospital, but you know. There’s that _what if they find out you’re the Flash_ thing.” 

“I also meant the other thing,” Sehun said, a little softer, “the hacking. Thank you. I know that must’ve taken a lot from you. But are you going to try again now? Do it more to help?” 

Baekhyun finished changing silently without looking at Sehun before he sighed and leaned on the bathroom wall, fully dressed.

“That was a one time thing,” Baekhyun admitted, “I don’t like doing it, but I had to for you. You and Jongdae are the only family I have, Sehun. You’re my friends. My brothers. So after Jongdae had left to go save you and I was alone here, thinking that one or both of you could die and leave me alone again, I didn’t even think when I did what I did. I feared losing you more than I feared myself.” 

“ _Baekhyun_ ,” Jongdae called, “We have to leave _now_. Come grab your breakfast and let’s go oh my goD.” 

Baekhyun laughed and hurried out the door, but there was always time for love, and Sehun bounded forwards to hug Baekhyun tightly. 

“Thank you,” Sehun said, “for everything.” 

Baekhyun hugged him back before tousling his hair. 

“It’s the least I can do for everything you’ve done for me,” he said. 

Then he ran outside, grabbing his bag and the breakfast on the table. Jongdae yelled a final _bye Sehun, I love you_ before the door slammed shut and Sehun was alone again. 

Sehun checked the time, found that he still had half an hour to left before he had to leave for work. He didn’t want to go back to sleep, so he walked out to the living room. There, he found bloody towels littered over the dining table and drops of blood staining the floor. That was probably where they had done the operation. The pile of bullets was kept in a bowl on the table like it was some centerpiece, marbles that flowers were placed in. 

Sehun didn’t want to remember yesterday’s events, so he cleaned up the towels and mopped up the bloodstains so they all wouldn’t have to see it when they returned home. 

Satisfied, he took a shower, noticing that the scars were completely gone, before grabbed his things and left for the day. He was slightly dreading his Jitter’s visit today because he was afraid of what he’d find. Or who he wouldn’t find. Would Soojung run off, scared after the other events? Would she think any less of him? Would she have told anyone who he was? Would she have left the city like she wanted without saying good-bye? 

Sehun waited in the long line that started out the door, thinking all of these things as the line slowly moved up. And when he finally opened the door and felt the hot scent of roasting coffee and the warm atmosphere welcome him as he stepped inside, he peeked over the other people in line and saw Soojung still working by the register. Like always. Same job, same apron, same thing, same always. Relieved that she didn’t look hurt, Sehun waited his turn in line, not knowing what to say. 

So he didn’t say anything different. 

“Hello, Soojung,” Sehun said, managing a smile. It was a little more tentative today because he didn’t know how she felt and because he noticed a few cuts and bruises from the fight on her cheek. “How are you?”

Soojung looked up at him, eyes wide, hands gripping the towel she was about to wipe the countertop with tightly. 

A barista next to her noticed her silence and elbowed her to make her continue working. 

“The same,” she blinked before averting her eyes, “Just like always.” 

“Sorry about yesterday. And thank you,” Sehun whispered, leaning closer over the counter, “I really wouldn’t have made it out yesterday without you.” 

Soojung thought for a moment in silence before nodding. She hid the tiniest hint of a smile as she ducked her head while she wrote Sehun’s name on his cup, but he saw it anyways. 

“It’s nothing. If anything, I should thank you,” she whispered, “This city needs the Flash. I do, too.” 

Sehun paused. 

“Your interview…How about tonight?” Sehun asked a little louder, “I’ll come back after you’re closed. I know we have…a lot to talk about.” 

“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath, “Okay. Have a better day than yesterday, Sehun.” 

“You, too,” Sehun said, “Stay out of trouble and stay safe. Please.” 

Soojung paused again. 

“Jessica isn’t doing anything for a while I think. So I’ll be fine,” she said before the next customer pushed forwards and demanded their order taken. Sehun waited at the countertop, observing Soojung. She looked tired, but she still did her job well. Like always. 

When he finally approached his work building, his half full coffee cup in one hand, Joohyun’s cup in his other, he noticed someone familiar sitting outside the bench reading today’s newspaper.

Junmyeon. 

Sehun stopped in his tracks, watching Junmyeon open the newspaper to read some article inside. He scanned the headlines of the front page and felt a tinge of pity for Junmyeon.

 

CAPTAIN COLD APPREHENDS CITY BOMBER

 

Junmyeon closed the newspaper before turning to the front and staring at the headlines. How many things did Junmyeon have to do to make it to the cover? He was probably expecting news about his orphanage, but instead saw this. It was really too bad, but Sehun didn’t want to stick around to talk to him, so he hurried into the building. 

Inside, he stared at the article that was on the front page of the online website.

 

FLASH HELPS CAPTAIN COLD LOCATE BOMBER

 

By: Oh Sehun

 

“I didn’t write this,” Sehun reflexively said.

“It has your name on it,” Joohyun said, “Of course you did.” 

“Well,” Sehun flatly said, “it’s not my style. You should know that. But it’s really good writing. The message behind its sounds like Jongdae, but the writing style isn’t his.” 

“I know you were apprehensive about this, but you’re doing fine,” Joohyun said after a slight pause, “You’re trying your best.” 

Sehun made a face and pulled up a draft of his regular column’s latest article. He didn’t know how much longer he could continue this. He and the other person. Who would slip first? Who would stop pretending first? From how he was feeling, Sehun was sure he’d say something soon.           

Sehun submitted a draft to the copy editors before packing his bags and leaving for lunch break. He didn’t know what time he’d be home after interviewing Soojung, so he wanted to have lunch with Jongdae and Baekhyun at least. However, both of them were busy, and it had taken thirty whole seconds of pouting until they agreed to take an early lunch break. They were about to leave until Dr. Lee entered their lab with two other men.   

“Jongdae, Baekhyun…Sehun?” Dr. Lee said, pausing to furrow his eyebrows when he saw Sehun there, “This is Mayor Kim and his son Junmyeon. They are touring the facilities.” 

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Mayor Kim said, striding forwards to shake Jongdae’s hand, then Baekhyun’s. When he reached Sehun, he stopped and let out a hearty laugh. 

“Oh! It’s you from the newspaper! Good to see you again, son,” he said, slapping Sehun’s shoulder. Now he knew where Junmyeon got that from. 

“Thank you for your service to this city,” Mayor Kim said, stepping back to address Jongdae and Baekhyun, “Dr. Lee tells me all you’ve done to help catch criminals and give victims and their families closure. Keep up the very good work. Godspeed, sons.”

Jongdae and Baekhyun thanked him and promised they’d do their best. Junmyeon brushed forwards to shake their hands. Sehun didn’t miss the way Jongdae pressed his lips together as he shook Junmyeon’s hand and didn’t miss the slight raise in Baekhyun’s eyebrows when it was his turn. He had told them all about Junmyeon after all. 

“I’d love to stay and chat with you, Sehun,” Junmyeon smiled, hitting his shoulder more forcefully than his father had done. Jongdae cleared his throat loudly. “But I want to see Dr. Lee’s personal lab and office, so you’ll have to catch me some other time.” 

“Oh really?” Sehun said, hoping he sounded genuine, “That’s too bad. See you around.” 

After the door closed, Jongdae sighed and snatched up his jacket. 

“Let’s go,” he said, “hurry out before he changes his mind.” 

As they escaped down the hallway, Sehun peered into Dr. Lee’s office for a brief second. Junmyeon was holding up a blue vial to the light while Dr. Lee asked him to put it down. Mayor Kim was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had already left. Sehun gave no more thought to them as he stepped into the elevator. 

At lunch, they bought pizza and sat by the park to enjoy the sun and watch the few wispy clouds drift by the blue sky. 

“So what now?” Baekhyun asked. He had finished his lunch and had stretched out, staring at the clouds above. “Captain Cold and Golden Glider already saw your face. How do we know they won’t leak your identity?” 

“I trust Soojung,” Sehun said, taking a bite of his pizza. He never ate quickly unless he was out of time because he liked savoring everything.

“But her sister,” Jongdae said, “Jessica. She’s a killer, a thief, and a criminal. There’s no telling what she’ll do with that information.” 

“Maybe…it would be good to monitor her calls, her texts, and her messages,” Baekhyun said after a while. He reached over, touching the grass and ripping pieces out of the ground. He picked up blade of grass, held it to his face and let the wind carry it off. 

Jongdae and Sehun exchanged a glance. 

“That would be a good idea,” Jongdae encouraged. 

“If you’re up to it,” Sehun hastily added. 

Baekhyun moved his hand up to cover the sun, squinting as he rotated his hand in the air.

“We’ll see,” Baekhyun said, “We’ll see.” 

“Either way,” Sehun said, “I’m meeting Soojung tonight for an interview. I’ll…ask her if she can convince her sister to not say anything.” 

“She better,” Jongdae said, “or we’ll have to make sure she doesn’t say anything.” 

Sehun didn’t want to ask how Jongdae would do that, so the only plan was making Soojung agree, and that was that. 

After the sun plummeted out of the sky and after his shift was over, Sehun patrolled around the city until it was time for Jitter’s to close. He changed back into his civilian clothes before peeking through the glass to find Soojung sweeping up. Sehun hid behind the wall again to take a deep breath. But what was he so worried for? This was Soojung…Soojung who he saw every day. Soojung who always remembered his order, who remembered to tell him to take care. 

Then he remembered Golden Glider skating up in the air like a shooting star, sending molten gold raining as she shot at him, Golden Glider dragging the bomber roughly away. And he took another deep breath. But then he remembered the bright light dimming, being outshone by her words, her actions when she threw herself in front of Sehun, trying to stop his bleeding, trying to stop everyone from putting a bullet through his head. 

That was the Soojung he remembered, so with another deep breath, he walked to the front of the door and knocked on the glass. Soojung looked up, stared at him for a second before she walked towards the door. Her hand hovered over the door before she unlocked it. 

“Hello, Sehun,” she said, glancing at his leg as she opened the door, “How are you today? How’s the leg?” 

“Hello, Soojung,” Sehun said, stepping inside. He’d never comprehend how empty it looked without the coffee, without the pastries, without the people. “I heal fast, so I’m good now. How are you, too?” 

“Fine,” she said, leading them to a table in the back before sitting down. It was the closest chair next to the exit. “Do you want any coffee?” 

“I’m okay,” Sehun said, sitting down. 

“So,” Soojung said, crossing her hands and putting it on the table. She stared openly at him now. “You’re the Flash.”

“And you’re Golden Glider,” Sehun said, “the sister of Captain Cold.” 

“Just call her Jessica,” Soojung waved him off, “or even just Jess. She’s only scary if you get in her way.” 

“Or if people get in your way,” Sehun said, not forgetting how she killed someone for just even threatening Soojung. 

Soojung slowly nodded.

“I won’t tell anyone your secret,” she said as she lowered her voice, “but Jessica…I’ll try my best to make her not talk.” 

“Thanks,” Sehun nodded before he admitted, “I told Jongdae since…he’s Jongdae. Sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Soojung’s mouth quirked up, “I would’ve been surprised if you kept anything from him.” 

Sehun smiled and pulled out a notepad and a pen. Jongdae had doodled the cover with little lightning bolts. 

“So. Interview time,” Sehun said. Soojung nodded. “If you could tell Central City your story, what would you say? Who are you?” 

Soojung leaned back into her chair, crossed her arms, and stared up at the rafters in the ceiling. Sehun let her take her time to collect her thoughts and waited, pen hovering over the paper, his arm casting a shadow over the blank page. 

“Jessica is my only sister,” she said, turning to stare at the empty coffee shop. Sehun wrote that down. “She was always protective of me, and though I don’t remember it, she’s probably been like that since I was born.” 

She glanced at Sehun’s face for a moment and smiled.

“I know what you’re thinking, but to understand me, you have to understand my sister,” she said. Sehun nodded and motioned for her to continue. 

“My father was a cop,” she said, moving her clenched fists to her lap, “a bad one.” 

“Was?” Sehun asked.

“I’ll get there,” Soojung said, her mouth twitching up for a second again before the brief smile disappeared. “He…didn’t come home often, but when he did, he was usually drunk. And when he was drunk, he liked to swing at us.”

“I’m sorry,” Sehun said, lifting up his pen to pause and look at her for a moment.

“It’s fine. It’s in the past,” Soojung said, staring at the ground now, “but Jessica used to throw herself at him if he came at me. You’d think she got most of her scars from the life she lives now, but most of them came from our dad.” 

Sehun didn’t know what to say. 

“I have one, too,” she said, lifting up her hair to show Sehun a thin scar that ran from behind her ear down to the back of her neck, “Jessica couldn’t stop everything, and she blamed herself. So when she saw this one? She…” 

Soojung fell silent and pressed her lips together. Whenever some of the people Sehun interviewerd stopped mid-sentence, reluctant to say more, he’d wait. Usually, they’d continue by themselves, or he’d have to prompt them with a different question. 

“Well,” Soojung tried again after thirty seconds had passed, taking a deep breath, “my father died a day after that. The coroner says it was a heart attack, but I know Jess. She did that for me even though I didn’t ask her to. And after that, she dropped out of college and started…this.” 

“Captain Cold,” Sehun said.

“Yes,” Soojung said. 

Sehun thought that Soojung would be more hesitant to talk, that he would have to guide her through the interview with questions. But she didn’t need any prompting and continued on without waiting for Sehun to say anything else.

“I work this steady job and try to wait for her when she comes home. Or if I’m too impatient, I’ll go to her instead. As Golden Glider. I do a lot of waiting, really. It’s all for her. I know she can be better than this, so I just want her to put down the gun and live a normal life. I can’t help but wonder if every time she walks out will be the last time I’ll see her,” Soojung said. Her voice had grown quieter, and Sehun leaned forward to listen.

“So you and Jessica,” Sehun said, “you’re family. You’ve always taken care of each other.”           

“Yes. We do what we have to do for each other,” she said. 

“Have you ever had to give anything up for her?” Sehun asked.

“Yeah,” Soojung said with a sigh, “I gave up figure skating to work this job. Jessica can easily pay all the bills, but I feel better knowing some of the money is legal.”

She then fell silent, and Sehun, after giving countless interviews, knew it was a silence he had to guide her out of.

“Who do you want to be remembered as?” he asked. 

This was the easiest question for Soojung it seemed, as she didn’t even blink, didn’t even hesitate.

“Someone who loves her sister more than anything in the world,” she nodded.

Sehun wrote that down and looked up with a smile. 

“You’re incredible,” he said, “following her, putting yourself in danger just to keep her in line.”

“I’m not in danger if she’s there,” she said, “she _is_ the most dangerous person in this town, I’m sure.” 

Then she winced. 

“I wish it didn’t have to be like that,” she said, “She was supposed to graduate as an engineer but dropped out to do this and to take care of me. She engineered her cold gun, my skates, and my gun, too, you know. Could you imagine the career she could’ve had? The life she could’ve lived?” 

“What about you?” Sehun asked, “Do you want anything different in your life?” 

“Sometimes,” Soojung said, “Who doesn’t? Sometimes I dream of helping rather than hurting. To save instead of destroy.” 

“Well,” Sehun said, making a choice in this moment, “Jongdae and Baekhyun guide me through my Flash activities, but it can get a little lonely sometimes. Do you want to patrol with me? You can even bring your sister. It’d be nice to have some help saving the city sometimes.”

Soojung raised her eyebrows. 

“Me?” she said, jabbing at herself. 

Sehun nodded.

“What do you say?” Sehun smiled. 

“I’ll think about it,” Soojung said, though mirrored Sehun’s smile easily.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Soojung didn’t have to think for very long because the next time Sehun was patrolling, a golden light that brightened the night sky fell towards him like a falling star. But he didn’t even notice, too preoccupied with the men who had decided to cause trouble for the night.

“You’re making me miss my date,” Sehun sighed, putting his hands on his hips, “couldn’t you have picked a different night to try and steal a bunch of expensive cars?”

“We don’t want trouble, Flash,” one man snarled, pointing his gun at him, “Let us take these cars, and we’ll be out of the way.” 

“I can’t let you do that,” Sehun said. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” the other man said and shot at Sehun. Sehun easily dodged the bullets and caught them before they could hit any civilian bystanders. As he dropped the bullets and let them scatter on the floor, he looked up just in time to see a light that came from the sky above hurtle into the men. 

In seconds, the men were knocked to the floor where they lay groaning. 

“Hey Flash,” the light said, turning to look at him and dropping the guns on the floor, “How are you?” 

“Never better,” Sehun grinned as he saw Soojung skate towards him.

“So show me how you do this,” Soojung said, jumping out of the sky and landing on her feet, the blades retracting instantly, “what now?”

“Now we run around looking for any trouble,” Sehun said, “think you can keep up with me? I’ll slow down for you.” 

“Oh please,” Soojung said as soon as she handcuffed the men to the cars, “you’d be surprised how fast I can go in the air.”

It wasn’t as fast as Sehun of course, but Soojung easily kept up with Sehun as he slowed down to a jog and watched her light streak across the sky. 

That night, they stopped three muggers and a robbery. After whisking the robbers to the police station and ran back, Sehun jogged down the next street over. There, he had to blink twice to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. 

Which was Joohyun yelling at some men who were crowding around her. 

“ _Hey_ ,” Sehun shouted before barreling through the crowd of men and knocking them all down. Joohyun covered her mouth with her hands as she looked at them.

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked, remembering to disguise his voice. Soojung landed next to them and kicked one of the men who had begun to stand up with a groan. 

“Thanks, Flash,” Joohyun said, lowering her hands from her mouth, “You’re really this city’s finest.” 

“I’m just trying my best,” Sehun said, “And so is Golden Glider.” 

“Hey,” Soojung greeted her as she punched another man.

“Golden Glider?” Joohyun asked, raising a hand to shield herself from the light, “Aren’t you…” 

“Working to be better,” Soojung said, “I have a lot to make up for, but the Flash is helping me try.” 

“Thank you,” Joohyun said with a nod. 

“Do you want me to walk you home?” Sehun asked. 

Joohyun tilted her head and stared at him, causing Sehun to shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. 

“No, it’s okay,” she said, “I don’t want to inconvenience you further in case someone else may need more urgent help. I’ll just take a taxi from here, but thank you.” 

Sehun insisted on waiting with her until she did get into a taxi and waved as she drove off. She turned her head to look at Sehun from the back of the taxi until she couldn’t see him anymore. 

“So,” Sehun said after checking the time, “I think I’m going to call it a night. If I don’t head to bed soon, I’ll have a rough day at work.”

“Me, too. Same thing tomorrow night?” Soojung smiled. 

“Sounds good,” Sehun grinned, “This was fun. I’m glad you came.” 

“I’m glad you invited me,” Soojung said, bumping his shoulder with hers, “I’ll have to try and convince Jessica. If she’s working with us, crime will be nonexistent in this city.” 

“You do that,” Sehun smiled, “It’d be fun.” 

Even if she did try to kill him twice.

Sehun raced back, enjoying the wind on his face and hearing the electricity crackle behind him. He slowed down to enjoy the sights, the young people lining up by the clubs, the couples out for a late date, the lights that twinkled around the city. But he doubled back after seeing a dark figure stand at the entrance of an alleyway holding a familiar glowing gun 

“Captain Cold?” he said when he approached closer. 

“You’re out late tonight, kid,” Jessica said, leaning against the wall, cold gun in hand.

“What do you want, Jessica?” Sehun asked, “or…can I call you Jess.”           

Jessica sighed and swung her gun around. 

“First of all, it’s Captain Cold to you,” she said, “We’re not close. At all. Second of all, do you want to explain to me why I saw my sister take down some criminals tonight?”

“Well, Jessica,” Sehun said, noticing the way Jessica’s lips twitched. Calling her Jessica made him feel more comfortable, less scared around her. “Want to explain why the bomber did what he did? I know you know, and the police aren’t getting anywhere with him. Your insight would be helpful.” 

“I asked first,” Jessica said. 

“I asked her to join me,” Sehun said, “and help protect the city.” 

“So you put her at risk?” Jessica said. Her tone was icy, and Sehun watched as she placed a finger on the trigger. But he still wasn’t scared because he remembered everything Soojung told him. Jessica, who always made sure to show up at Soojung’s school events when their parents never did. Jessica, who went to her parent teacher meetings because their dad was their dad and their mom was busy working. Jessica, who stayed up late to help her study for science exams. That Jessica. 

“Isn’t that what you do when you let her come with you on your heists?” Sehun asked. 

“I know I can protect her when she’s with me,” Jessica said. 

“She does that because she’s concerned for you. Not because she’s interested in crime,” Sehun said. 

“You don’t think I know that?” Jessica scoffed. 

“Then stop,” Sehun said.

“When you’ve lived the life I’ve lived, you wouldn’t ever dream of stopping, kid, Jessica said, “I know the people you fight because I am one of them, and I am telling you. Get her out before she gets hurt.” 

“If you’re so worried, then why don’t you join us?” Sehun asked. 

Jessica paused before throwing her head back to laugh.           

“ _Me_?” she laughed, “Join _you_? The Flash? How many more men must I kill before you realize what a type of person I am?” 

“Just think about it,” Sehun shrugged, “you could’ve killed me, but you didn’t.” 

“I can still kill you anytime, kid,” Jessica said. 

“Then what’s stopping you?” Sehun asked. 

Jessica raised the gun and aimed it at Sehun’s chest, but Sehun didn’t flinch. She held it there for about half a minute before slowly putting it down. 

“Soojung likes you, and you’re nice to her. That’s all that’s stopping me from putting a shard of ice through your heart,” she said, “so just stay out of my way and get that heroic nonsense out of her head.” 

She began to walk away, but Sehun stopped her. 

“Wait. You never answered my first question. Do you know why the bomber planted those bombs?” Sehun asked, “You and your team must’ve figured out something when you were tracking him.” 

Jessica didn’t look back but hoisted her gun on her shoulder and continued walking. 

“It’s very funny what some people will do when they receive a very generous donation in their bank account,” she said before disappearing into the night.

 Sehun let her go as he thought. So the bomber had been paid? By who? It’d be easy to track the money, but Baekhyun would have to be persuaded to do it. Then why? Why bomb the city? He thought of what he learned after hearing Jongdae and Baekhyun talk about forensics. It couldn’t be out of sadism because the main perpetuator would have wanted to plant the bomb himself to experience maximum satisfaction. So it had to be for something else…some other reason Sehun couldn’t understand right now. With a sigh, he stretched and took a final lap around the city before he headed home. 

It took him three seconds to notice that something was trailing after him. He turned back, saw a streak of white, and ran left to make sure it wasn’t really following him. But it did. It did turn left when he turned left, turned right when he turned right. 

Sehun stopped in his tracks, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. But now, the light streaked away, turned a different corner, and disappeared. Sehun blinked before running around the city, trying to find whatever it was. But after minutes of nothing, he gave up. 

Maybe it was something his exhausted mind imagined. Because there wasn’t anyone else like him, right? No one else had gained powers after getting struck by lightning, right?

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun was face to face with Junmyeon after the golden elevator doors swung open the next morning. All Sehun was trying to do was start writing and look over edits, but it was his misfortune of getting out of the elevator as soon as Junmyeon was trying to step inside. 

Sehun tried to be nice at least. He knew Junmyeon’s story and didn’t have the heart in him to think mean thoughts.           

“You’re back here again?” Sehun said, not knowing what else to say after he greeted him. 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon beamed, clapping Sehun on the shoulder, “I’ll try harder. Think bigger to get to the front pages. I guess there are more ways than one to help Central City, and eventually, I’ll make it.” 

“Good for you,” Sehun nodded, “I’ll look forward to that day you make the headlines.” 

Junmyeon smiled. 

“Yeah. I hope the writer listens this time. They can’t write me out of Central City’s story, you know,” Junmyeon said, “I’m here to stay, and I am important enough to be here.” 

Sehun tried to focus on what Junmyeon had told the Flash to forget what he was saying now and smiled. 

“Good luck,” he said and meant it, “I’m sure there’ll be great headlines about you.”

“Thank you,” Junmyeon said, “I’m off to visit the orphanage, but I hope you have a good day, Sehun.” 

Sehun thanked him and headed to his office, never looking back once. 

Inside his office, he wished he could break his daily habit of checking their newspaper’s website because he saw the headline, the author, and wanted to slam his laptop shut. 

He never clicked on the Flash articles anymore, but a scan of the headline was enough to make him shake his head and exit out of the tab faster than he could run across the city. Because really. Him? A hero? The savior of the city? Sehun didn’t like hearing about himself like that since he was just…a regular guy who just happened to have speed. 

If his speed was taken away, he was just Sehun. Nothing more, nothing less.           

Sehun wanted to badly to open his mouth and ask Joohyun who…wrote these articles, but kept his mouth shut because she was busy today. A mountain of papers were stacked in front of her, and she scribbled notes in the margins of papers with green ink again and again and again without looking up. 

Sehun always admired her work ethic. If Joohyun had something to do, then she’d finish it in no time without complaining. Work first and break later, she’d always say. Break first and work after, Sehun always replied. Sehun took breaks to get inspiration, but it didn’t always work like that. When he researched something, he often became distracted and forgot what he was supposed to write in the first place. It was a wonder he finished his articles at all, but that was the beauty of panic writing near deadlines. That was all the inspiration he needed. 

After work, he packed up and waited with Joohyun outside as she hailed a taxi. He debated asking her why she took a taxi instead of walking like she usually did but decided against it. If she mentioned the Flash, Sehun would deflect, shrug, and risk piquing any suspicions she might have. Once she was safely inside, Sehun watched her, waving until he was out of sight. Just as he was about to head home, Sehun looked across the street and saw a hooded figure. Jessica. Sehun paused before dashing across the street, not bothering to change into his Flash suit. 

“You know where I work?” Sehun asked as he approached Jessica. 

“It’s not hard to figure out,” Jessica said, examining her cold gun, “How many Sehuns are there in the city? I mean…less than you’d think. But it wasn’t hard to find you.” 

“Did you stalk all the Sehuns in the city before you found me?” Sehun asked. 

“Do you really think I have the time to do that?” Jessica asked, leaning against the wall, “Me? When I could be planning my next heist a couple months from now?”

“Yeah,” Sehun said. 

Jessica scowled before she huffed. 

“Anyways,” Jessica said, “I came here to gently remind you that you’re supposed to persuade Soojung to stop this nonsense. She won’t listen to anything I say, and she even went out earlier to stop a few guys from robbing a jewelry store. I even had to step in and freeze some of their hands off for even thinking of breathing in her direction. A pity. They had a promising career in robbery.” 

“Wow,” Sehun said, “what a loss. But didn’t it feel nice? To do something good?”

There was no change in Jessica’s expression, not that he could see anything at all behind her goggles, but Sehun still hoped one of these days she would change her mind. 

“Why the fuck would I care about that?” Jessica scoffed, “I only care that she’s safe. Why would I care about anything else? So either you convince her to stop, or I take you out and leave you without a leg or two for a month or a year or forever so she’ll stop. Take your pick.” 

“Did you know that I heal fast?” Sehun said, grinning despite himself, “I’ll get back up and run again no matter how many times you freeze my leg.” 

“Then I’ll cut it off,” Jessica said, jabbing at Sehun’s chest with her gun, “I doubt you can regrow limbs.” 

She tilted her head. 

“Wait. Can you?” she asked. 

“I don’t know,” Sehun shrugged, “I don’t really want to find out either.” 

“Then do what I say,” Jessica said, “or we’ll both find out if you can regrow limbs or not. Okay?” 

“If she won’t listen to you, then what makes you think she’ll listen to me?” Sehun asked. 

“ _Just_ …try,” Jessica said with a sigh. 

“Fine,” Sehun said. 

“Good,” Jessica said and pushed herself off the wall before striding down the alley. 

“Wait,” Sehun called out, suddenly remembering, “Since you’re…someone who functions on the opposite side of the law…” 

“A criminal,” Jessica said, quickly turning around and striding back towards him, “were you going to call me a criminal?”

 Sehun paused. Would that offend her? 

“I…” Sehun said, struggling for an answer that wouldn’t get him shot, “Maybe?” 

“Well don’t be afraid of saying it then,” Jessica said, nudging his shoulder with her gun, “I know who I am. A criminal. Do you know who you are, Flash?” 

Sehun pressed his lips together. 

“I’m just a writer,” he said in a smaller voice. A sudden gust of wind blew against him, and he shivered, hugging his shoulders in an attempt to stay warm. “That’s all I am.” 

Jessica laughed and shook her head.           

“You are not one thing, kid,” she said, “and if you really think you’re only a writer and not something else…something more after listening to how the city talks about you, then you’re deaf.”

“Who is Jessica then? Who are you?” Sehun asked, attempting to deflect this conversation away from himself.

“Like I said,” Jessica said. Another strong gust of wind blew her hood back, revealing long brown hair that looked just like Soojung’s. Before Sehun could stare any longer, Jessica threw the hood back over her head and continued speaking. “I’m a criminal. I don’t divide my personality into two, so Captain Cold and I are the same. But most importantly, I’m a sister. Always.”

“I’m not dividing my personality,” Sehun insisted, “I’m really just a writer. The Flash is…trying his best.” 

“It is really a testament to the weakness of this city’s criminals if they can’t take down someone like you,” Jessica clucked her tongue, “I guess you still need to figure out who you are.” 

“Listen,” Sehun said, raising his voice as something sparked inside of him, “I just wanted to ask for your opinion. It’s about an old murder case.” 

Who better to ask about an unsolved crime than someone who seemed to get away with everything? Jessica paused for a moment, staring at Sehun through her tinted goggles. 

“Whatever it is,” she asked, “I didn’t do it. But that’s the answer I give all the cops when they think they can try and arrest me.” 

Sehun roughly explained the details of Jongdae’s parent’s murder, omitting the names of who died, who survived. It wasn’t any easier to speak about it even now, and he let out a long exhale when he finished. 

“Okay,” Jessica said, “There are three possibilities.” 

“What is it?” Sehun asked.

“There was no second murderer,” Jessica said, raising a finger. 

“That can’t be it,” Sehun said. 

“There was a second murder weapon,” Jessica continued, raising a second finger. 

“And?” Sehun asked, “What’s the third one?” 

“Someone is lying,” Jessica said, raising a third, “That’s obvious. It’s a pity the cops don’t listen to children. They’d solve their cases so much faster. They’d realize things so much sooner.”

Sehun wondered if Jessica was talking about something else. Someone else. 

“Has no one ever questioned the neighbor? Hung them up side down to make them confess the truth? They heard all that screaming, and yet they only called in the morning? I’d look into that if I were you,” Jessica said. With that, she swung her gun over her shoulder and slinked away into the darkness.

“Thanks,” Sehun called out as Captain Cold walked away, “You’d be a great detective, you know. A great hero.” 

“But what the fuck does that pay?” Jessica answered back, her laugh echoing in the empty alley.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

This Saturday morning, Sehun awoke earlier than usual because he needed to do something. It was something he didn’t particularly want to do alone and something he couldn’t do with Jongdae, so here he was in Baekhyun’s apartment, shaking him awake.

“Let me _sleep_ ,” Baekhyun grumbled, pulling the covers over his head. Sehun whisked the blanket away and ran it over to the living room. In less than a second, Baekhyun was blanket-less and groaning. 

“I want to go back to Keystone City,” Sehun said.

“Why the _fuck_ would you want to go back there?” Baekhyun said, shoving his pillow on top of his head. 

“I know it’s a bad place for you and Jongdae, but I wanted to see if the neighbors next to Jongdae’s house are still there. I wanted to ask them a few questions,” Sehun said, snatching the pillow away, too.

Baekhyun twisted, lying on his stomach and falling silent. Sehun would’ve thought he had fallen asleep again until he spoke a few moments later. 

“What would they tell you that they didn’t tell the police?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” Sehun said, shaking Baekhyun’s arm in case he was still drowsy, “but it’s worth a try. I don’t want this case to keep weighing Jongdae down. This is the year we finally solve it because of my powers.” 

"It’ll always weigh him down,” Baekhyun said, slowly pulling himself up off the bed as he sat, blinking slowly, his eyes puffy from the abrupt awakening, “That’s not something that’ll ever leave him.” 

Sehun sighed and flopped down on the mattress. 

“But at least he’ll have closure,” Baekhyun sighed, running a hand through his hair, “I’ll go with you, but only to the house. That’s it. I don’t want to…stick around.”

“Really? Thanks Baekhyun,” Sehun said, sitting straight up.

“How are we getting there?” Baekhyun asked with a yawn, “train? Car?”

“How else?” Sehun asked with a laugh and whisked him off to Keystone City before Baekhyun could even finish yawning.

Seconds later, Sehun skidded to a stop on the street of Jongdae’s old childhood neighborhood. Baekhyun stumbled to the pavement, eyes darting around his new surroundings as he swore. 

“Oh my _god_ ,” he groaned, “you couldn’t have given me two seconds to change?” 

“It’s okay,” Sehun said, offering Baekhyun his hand, “It’s still early, so no one will care you’re in your pink corgi sweatpants.”

“ _I_ care,” Baekhyun said, snatching Sehun’s hand up and standing. He glared at him for a second before relaxing. “But that’s what you feel like all the time? When you’re running so fast you travel from here to there in a second?” 

“Yeah,” Sehun smiled, “Cool, isn’t it?” 

“Can you hit me with some lightning?” Baekhyun said, letting out a chuckle, “I want that, too.” 

The two of them walked around the sleepy neighborhood, passing rows and rows of neatly aligned houses, perfectly grown hedges, meticulously trimmed lawns. No one would have guessed two people lost their lives here years and years ago.

“You know, I’ve never actually been here,” Baekhyun said, keeping close to Sehun as they continued down the street, “I’ve only seen it in…pictures.” 

“Well, we met in high school after you transferred,” Sehun said. 

“Yeah,” Baekhyun said, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Then which neighbor is it?” 

Sehun led Baekhyun past a few more houses until they stood in front of Jongdae’s old childhood house. Sehun had visited it only once when they were children. Jongdae had wanted to run away from his aunt’s house to visit it, and Sehun had tagged along because he could never leave Jongdae’s side even back then. Jongdae had sworn he was looking for one of his stuffed dinosaurs, but now that Sehun was older, he thought otherwise. 

The house looked the same, only a slightly new coat of white paint covering up its past from the present. Two cars were parked in the driveway. Did the people who lived here know? They had to know, right? There must be some real estate code that made it mandatory to inform homeowners that that oh, they were sleeping right above the room where two people were murdered. Sehun stared for one second longer before tearing his gaze away. 

The neighbor on the right had been out of town that day, so it would be useless to interview him. But the neighbor on the left was the one that placed the emergency call the morning after. 

“This the one?” Baekhyun said, pointing on the left. Sehun nodded. Baekhyun grumbled about being seen in his pink corgi sweatpants again, but nevertheless trailed after Sehun as they walked up the driveway. 

Sehun’s hand hovered over the doorbell. Suddenly he felt like a kid again, fingers poised over the doorbell of Jongdae’s aunt’s house for the first time after that night, wanting to ask if Jongdae was okay, if he wanted to play with him. Baekhyun sighed, pushed Sehun’s hand aside and jammed his thumb on the doorbell for him. 

Seconds later, a middle-aged man answered the door sleepily. 

“What do you want so early in the morning?” he asked.

Sehun looked at Baekhyun for support before answering. 

“I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about the murder that happened next door more than a decade ago,” Sehun said. 

“Why?” the man said, narrowing his eyes, “The police already cleared the case. It’s been years.” 

“We’re with the police,” Baekhyun said. He pulled out his lab ID and flashed it quickly to fool the man. “We’re reexamining new evidence, and we believe your new testimony would be helpful.”          

“Don’t you have my testimony from…way before?” the man asked as he yawned. 

As it turned out, the man was too tired to care, too tired to question why they weren’t in police uniform, and opened the door wider to let them into his house. He offered them coffee, but Sehun still wanted to get Jitter’s later, so he refused. Baekhyun eagerly took a raspberry muffin from the plate offered to him. 

“So what do you want to know?” the man asked, sinking into the couch. Sehun noticed how drowsy he seemed and predicted they had about five minutes before the man would fall asleep. 

“You called about seeing the door wide open, right?” Sehun said, “that’s why the police figured out what happened.” 

“Yeah,” the man nodded, looking away from them as he remembered, “it was early in the morning.” 

“Earlier than this?” Baekhyun said, leaning forwards.

“Yeah,” the man said, eyeing Baekhyun’s pants. 

“But usually you’re not up at this hour,” Sehun said, “like you said.” 

“I don’t know,” the man said, looking more alert now. He wiped his hands on his pants. “It was years ago. Who knows why I was up?” 

“I think you know,” Baekhyun said, staring intently at the man, refusing to look away. The effect was slightly diminished by the way he took a big bite of the muffin, causing crumbs to fall on his lap. 

“I’m not lying, if that’s what you think,” the man raised his voice, “I really did see the door open like that and called.” 

“The window of your house has a direct view of the large tree across the street where the first murderer was killed by lightning,” Sehun said, pointing outside, “So you didn’t notice the dead body at all? You only noticed the door of your neighbor’s house wide open, something you could only see if you walked out on your porch and turned your head?” 

“What were you really doing that night?” Baekhyun said. His lips were twisted slightly up, looking like he had looked when he was seventeen and had caught Jongdae and Sehun sneaking out of the school dance hand in hand. The man squirmed under Baekhyun’s gaze, made one feeble attempt at an excuse before sighing. 

“It’s all my fault,” he said, hiding his face in his hands. 

“You’re the second murderer?” Sehun blurted out. 

“ _What_?” the man said, peeking up at Sehun between his hands, “I thought there was only one…But no…” 

He sighed and stood up straighter, shaking his head. Sehun and Baekhyun waited in silence until the man took a deep breath and spoke. 

“I heard screaming the night before,” he said, his voice a little softer, “but I didn’t do anything about it. I thought maybe…maybe it was a movie or something. I don’t know. A horror movie.” 

“It was a murder,” Sehun said. If Jongdae were here, he would’ve hurtled over the couch and grabbed the man by the collar.

“It was my mistake,” the man sighed, “if I had called the police sooner the first time, then maybe they would’ve stopped the murderer.”

“The first time?” Sehun asked, “When did you call?”

“This wasn’t in the testimony,” Baekhyun said, exchanging a look with Sehun, “I only heard about the call you made the morning.”

“Well, the police dismissed it the first time,” he said.

“What?” Sehun said, leaning so far out of his seat he could’ve fallen if Baekhyun had not grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. 

“Yeah I called hours later after the screaming stopped because I was worried and I just…had a gut feeling,” he said, “but the police said if the screaming stopped, then things were probably fine. I couldn’t sleep that night and checked on them early in the morning. That’s when I found the door open. That’s when I called the second time.”

“The police are obligated to investigate any complaints,” Baekhyun said with a frown, “that’s not right. Who took your call?” 

“I don’t know,” the man shrugged, “I directly called the police department since I figured the emergency services might be swarmed with calls. It was raining hard that night after all. ” 

“Did you ever hear a second murderer?” Sehun asked. 

The man shook his head. 

“No. Just the screaming,” the man said, “I’m glad the boy made it out though. I wonder where he is today. If he’s okay. I really hope he’s okay.” 

Sehun couldn’t say anything so he thanked the man for his time and stood up to leave. The man didn’t tell them to come again if they had more questions, didn’t tell them he was glad he could help. Sehun understood.

Sehun and Baekhyun stood in front of the man’s house, closing the gate behind them. The neighborhood was starting to stir and wake up. The sun stretched and peeked out from behind the leaves of the big tree across the street. A newspaper boy rode his red bike around, throwing today’s newspaper on every house’s front porch. Someone had started watering their lawn. 

“I wonder why they didn’t look into the first complaint,” Baekhyun said. 

“Do you think we’ll find anything new if we trace the call?” Sehun asked, “it can’t hurt to at least verify he was telling the truth, right?”           

“Maybe ask Dr. Lee,” Baekhyun said, “tell him about the first call and see what he says.” 

“All right,” Sehun said after a brief hesitation. 

“Take me home now please,” Baekhyun sighed, “Jongdae’s probably wondered where we went.”           

But a second later, after they returned back to Central City, back home, Jongdae was still asleep. They stood over the bed, and Baekhyun waved a hand over Jongdae’s face. 

“He looks younger when he’s asleep,” he said after he received no response.

“He doesn’t remember anything when he’s asleep,” Sehun said, “it must be nice to forget what happened sometimes like that.” 

But they were speaking too loudly, and Jongdae finally stirred. 

“What time is it?” he murmured as he stretched. Sehun always thought it was unfair how beautiful Jongdae looked when he first woke up. 

“Breakfast time,” Baekhyun said, tugging Jongdae out of bed, “let’s get pancakes.” 

Jongdae whined, attempting to curl up into the sheets, but five minutes later, Sehun and Baekhyun had won, and all three of them were walking towards the nearest pancake house. Sehun kept his hands in the pockets of his jacket and considered what the man said. If he was telling the truth, then why hadn’t the police responded earlier? Why did they have to wait for the second call? Of course, he didn’t know police procedure, but… 

“Sehun,” Jongdae said, “do you want to sit outside or inside today?”

“Outside,” Sehun said, staring at the blue sky and the few wispy clouds. “It’s a nice day.” 

“Outside it is,” Jongdae said to the waitress. Baekhyun made a face but still followed them to an outside table shielded by a large, scarlet umbrella embroidered with gold thread. If it were just Jongdae and Baekhyun, the two of them would have silently agreed to sit inside, but Jongdae would give anything to Sehun, so if Sehun wanted to sit outside, then they’d sit outside, rain or shine. 

Ten minutes later, the waitress brought them their order. Baekhyun eagerly accepted his plate of banana pancakes and Jongdae cleared his side of the table to make room for his stack of blueberry pancakes. The waitress placed Sehun’s first plate of chocolate chip pancakes in front of him and his second plate in the middle of the table.

Jongdae had made Sehun eat twice as much to maintain his energy, but Sehun took his time eating and chewing today, too busy thinking. Baekhyun seemed to notice his preoccupation and dominated the conversation today, talking loudly about anything and everything. He even reached for his wallet when it was time to pay, but Jongdae waved him off. 

“I’m in a good mood,” Jongdae smiled, “and it’s my turn to pay.” 

Would he have said that if he had gone with them to see his old neighbor? 

He patted his jacket and pockets before frowning. 

“Oh, I think I must’ve left my wallet at the lab,” he said before touching Sehun’s arm and pushing his face closer to Sehun’s. 

“Sehun,” Jongdae sweetly said, “can you please run to the lab and bring me my wallet please?” 

Sehun felt his heart melt as he stared at Jongdae’s smile. Of course the answer was always yes. 

“Yes,” he said, “anything for you.”

A second later, he arrived at the alleyway behind the lab and brushed himself off before looking down at his shoes. Another pair slightly ruined. With a sigh, Sehun snuck into the stairwell and ran all the way to the top floor. Sehun wasn’t supposed to be here unsupervised and without a visitor’s badge, so he carefully crept through the hallway. He ducked into Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s lab after typing their passcode with quick fingers. Jongdae had left his wallet underneath his notebook, and before Sehun pocketed the wallet, he stopped to trace the lightning bolts Jongdae had doodled on the cover. 

He was just about to leave before he noticed heard familiar voices coming from Dr. Lee’s office. Sehun tiptoed across the hall and pressed his back against the wall as he eavesdropped. 

“I know what you have,” Junmyeon said, his voice echoing from the slightly open door. Junmyeon? Why was he here? “Don’t make me tell my father.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dr. Lee loudly insisted. 

“Don’t give me that,” Junmyeon hissed, “What you have is dangerous in the wrong hands. I’m sure my father would be interested in what you’ve done.” 

Oh. Maybe Junmyeon had conducted some investigations of his own in the hopes of landing that front-page headline. What had he found that others didn’t know? Sehun leaned closer to the door, shifting his weight. But the action had caused the floorboard he was standing on to creak. 

“Did you hear something?” Dr. Lee suddenly asked. 

Sehun took that as his cue and sped off before anyone could find him. 

“There you are,” Jongdae said as Sehun tossed him his wallet, “I thought you’d be back in less than a second.”

“I had to find it,” Sehun said, collapsing into his seat and fighting to calm his heartbeat, “it was underneath your notebook.” 

“Thanks, Sehun. You’re my hero,” Jongdae said, giving him a thank you kiss, which didn’t do anything but send Sehun’s pulse lurching forwards again.

“Okay, well,” Baekhyun said, crinkling his nose, “that’s enough of the outside world for me today. I’m spending the rest of my day holed up in my room playing video games. You’re all welcome to join me.” 

“Perfect,” Jongdae said.

Sehun laughed. He could always try to keep them outdoors, but indoors they’d always return. For the next few hours, Sehun sat on Baekhyun’s couch watching them play the newest game Baekhyun was obsessed with. Cheers meant they were winning. Silence or a long yell meant that things were going bad. But it all looked the same to Sehun after a while, so he pulled out his phone. He answered some emails he should have answered a few days ago, scrolled through social media apps, and read through the suggestions and corrections the copy editor sent him.

And then he saw an article that almost made him drop his phone.

 

THE FLASH: THE BEST OF THIS CITY

 By: Oh Sehun

 

Though he shouldn’t have, Sehun jammed his thumb on the link and read through the article he never wrote. Flash, the defender of this city. Flash, the savior of those in need. Flash, the hero Central City deserves. He had heard of all those titles before and tried to forget them. But this? Flash, the best of everyone else? Flash, the best hero of all time? That was too much. Sehun didn’t feel like the best. He didn’t even feel like tenth place or fifteenth place. He was just trying his best, and the more honors the city piled onto his name, the more he felt like he couldn’t be what they wanted. It was only a matter of time when they’d turn on him the second he failed to do his job. 

He watched Jongdae and Baekhyun play their games for a moment more before shutting off his phone, his decision made.          

“I’ll be back,” he said, standing up to stretch his legs. Baekhyun didn’t even notice, but Jongdae made Sehun bend down for a quick kiss before he turned back to the screen. Baekhyun screeched. The distraction had cost them the game. As they restarted it, watching the loading screen appear, Sehun managed a fond smile before dashing off. 

Though it took him a minute to reach her house, Sehun paced around Joohyun’s porch for a good three minutes before knocking. Then he remembered Joohyun never liked answering the door if she wasn’t expecting anyone, so he shouted.           

“It’s me,” he called, and then a little softer, “Sehun.” 

Thirty seconds later, Joohyun opened the door with a smile, inviting Sehun inside before shutting and locking the door behind them.

“What did you come here for?” Joohyun said. She moved aside the small throw pillows embroidered with emerald thread before sitting down on the couch and inviting Sehun to do the same. 

“I…” Sehun said, pacing around the room. Pictures of Joohyun’s wedding hung from the walls, and several writing awards and a picture of him and Joohyun rested on the mantle. 

“Speak,” Joohyun said, “What’s wrong? I haven’t seen you like this since you were about to submit your first article.” 

Sehun rubbed his face in his hands as he paced. If he continued walking around like this, he was sure he’d set the floor on fire. 

“Sit down and relax,” Joohyun said, patting the cushion next to her. 

Sehun took a deep breath and obediently sat down next to her. 

“What’s this about?” she said, “If it’s something minor, let me know if I have to grab my taser. If it’s something bigger, let me know if I should call Seulgi so she can have a chat with—” 

“I didn’t write any of those articles,” Sehun blurted out. Joohyun raised her eyebrows, freezing for a moment. 

“Which articles?” she slowly said, “I know your writing. You wrote them.” 

“The Flash ones,” Sehun said dropping his face in his hands, “I…I can’t write something like that, and you should know that. I didn’t write a single one of them. I just…can’t bring myself to write about the Flash like the whole city wants, and I can’t take the credit that another writer deserves. If they want to write about the Flash as a hero, the best hero, then they should use their own name. But this…this isn’t _me_ , Joohyun.” 

He thought he would feel better after saying what he had wanted to say for so long, but he didn’t. 

“Why?” she said, snatching a pillow and hugging it to her chest, “Why can’t you see the Flash like everyone else does?” 

“Because,” Sehun said, feeling shyer now, feeling less of himself than he was now. People thought of him as the best hero. Charismatic. Strong. Brave. But now, here he was, weak. Vulnerable. Unworthy of all the appreciation. The love. 

He took a deep breath and tried to meet Joohyun’s gaze. 

“I am the Flash,” he said. A declaration like that needed to be said confidently, but all Sehun could muster was a whisper. 

Joohyun raised her eyebrows even higher, and Sehun almost expected her to be more surprised. 

“I knew it,” she said, a wry smile lifting up her lips, “I _knew_ it.” 

Sehun’s jaw dropped open, and he leapt to his feet, staring down at her with wide eyes. 

“But… _how_?” he said, hands grabbing his hair, “how did you know?”

“Well, I didn’t _know_ ,” Joohyun said, adjusting her glasses as if to see Sehun in a new light. “You and Jongdae and Baekhyun aren’t exactly subtle, you know. I was wondering why Baekhyun started bringing that police scanner everywhere when we hung out that one time.”

“I knew it,” Sehun groaned, finally sinking back down on the couch. 

“There were other moments, too,” Joohyun said, “but what really made me almost sure was that night you knocked out those men for me and asked to walk me home. You may have disguised your voice, but you can’t hide your heart, Sehun. You’re still the same under that suit. Still sweet. Always sweet.” 

Sehun slouched on the couch and peeked up at her between his fingers. 

“I’m trying my best,” he said. 

“There’s that, too,” Joohyun smiled, “you always said the Flash was trying his best. Now I know why.” 

“I really am,” Sehun said with a sigh, “trying my best.”           

“And I’m proud of you,” Joohyun nodded, “now that I know for sure.” 

“Thanks, Joohyun,” Sehun said, inching closer to rest his head on her shoulder. She patted his head, and Sehun felt privileged to know that he was quite possibly the only man in the world who could do this and get away with it. When he was younger and they were both still in college, she used to call him a big baby. Her baby. Now there was only silence. 

“You know the articles about Flash you didn’t write?” Joohyun asked. Sehun hummed in response and wondered if she was about to propose they track down the real writer.

“I wrote them,” she said, her voice barely a whisper now, “I wrote all of them.”

Sehun sat up straight to look at Joohyun, but she kept her gaze down. He blinked, and really, he should have known, too. 

“I thought it was Jongdae,” he admitted, “at first, I really did. Because the writer…you wrote about the Flash like he’d write about me.” 

“He’s not the only one that believes in you, Sehun,” Joohyun said with a small laugh, “He’s not the only one who believes in the Flash.” 

“Why?” Sehun asked. 

“I wanted to write,” Joohyun said, nodding and nodding and nodding, “I really wanted to write, and when you were having trouble and almost missed your deadline, I pulled something out quickly to cover for you. I don’t know…I thought you’d ask me about it after you saw the article. But you didn’t.” 

Sehun winced. He supposed this was both of their faults.

“When you didn’t turn in your next article, I wrote that one, too. And it continued from there,” Joohyun finished. 

“If you want to write,” Sehun gently said, “then write. Write as Bae Joohyun, not Oh Sehun. Use your name and take credit for your work.”

“It’s not that simple,” Joohyun said, taking off her glasses to clean her lenses, “I wanted to be writer. That’s really all I wanted. But you saw me apply to grad schools when we were in college.” 

Sehun remembered. They were in the same English classes, writing club, and part of the campus’ literary magazine for a year before she graduated. He was only a freshman then, a freshman hanging out with the fourth year everyone but him was scared of. A freshman terrified for the future after watching the person whose writing he admired the most face rejection over and over again.

“It wasn’t that much of a big deal when I was rejected to every program I applied to the first time,” Joohyun shrugged, “You always think oh. I can try again. It’s fine. I can try again. ” 

Sehun remembered her reacting differently. He remembered sitting next to her in the library at night, her computer resting between them as it displayed her latest rejection. Joohyun had slumped over the table, hiding her face between her arms, and he had pretended he hadn’t heard her let out a sob as he rubbed her back.

“It was hard to keep trying again,” Joohyun said, closing her eyes for a moment, “what else was I supposed to think when I kept receiving those rejections? Not a single waitlist? It’s hard to write when everyone tells you no. Don’t. Just stop. Who told you could write? Who told me I could write?” 

“Me,” Sehun said, “I think you can write better than anyone else, and I’ll tell you every day that you can write because you make sentences sing and you make anyone who reads your writing just… _feel_. So don’t listen to them, listen to me. Listen to your own voice, your own words for once, and then you’ll see. ” 

“Rejection is hard, Sehun,” Joohyun said, her voice beginning to sound shaky, “I had to fight to get to where I am now. I had to stop writing to claw myself to where I am now.” 

Sehun remembered how Joohyun waited one year after graduation. One year so she could reapply and try again. One year she spent working a minimum wage job while she waited for her results, hoping for one yes. Just one yes. Just one university to tell her that her writing was good enough. 

But it was a year spent wasted. A year that ended with her applying as a copy-editing intern at the Central City Times. The newspaper told her yes. It was not the yes she had wanted, but the yes she accepted because that was just how life worked sometimes. 

“Do you know how much it hurts when I edit other people’s writing but never my own?” Joohyun said, lowering her face in her hands. Sehun was well aware of what this meant and reached over to place a hand on her shoulder. Light enough so it wasn’t overbearing. Gentle enough to remind her he was here.

“I miss it. I miss it so much,” Joohyun continued. Her shoulders began to shake, but she still managed to keep her voice even. “But what else was I supposed to do when everyone else told me to stop?”

“If you want to write,” Sehun softly repeated, “then write. If you don’t think anyone will listen, then I will. If you don’t think anyone will like your writing, then I will. But haven’t you realized that the whole city loves your writing by now? Your articles on the Flash are the most anticipated, most clicked, most loved. That’s you. All you.” 

“They like hearing about you,” Joohyun shook her head, “The Flash. Everyone reads because they love you.”

 Sehun didn’t have the energy to argue, to tell her that she was wrong, especially when he watched her blink away the past from her eyes.           

“I guess we’re both hiding,” Sehun said at last, “you’re hiding under my name, and I’m hiding under the city’s version of someone I’m not. You’re not helping by calling me the best, you know…But I’m going to keep believing in you until you write what you want with your name on it.” 

Joohyun looked back at Sehun, staring at him silently for a while before a slow smile spread across her face. 

“Then I’m going to keep calling you that until you believe yourself, too,” Joohyun said, reaching over to brush away a tear that had fallen on Sehun’s cheek. He hadn’t remembered crying. 

Sehun didn’t know how long that would take, but what he did know was that they were here. Together. 

Two writers doing their best.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun liked to spend his nights on top of high rooftops staring down at the city lights. He was accustomed to sitting on the top of his apartment rooftop with Jongdae, but nowadays, he sat alone on the top of skyscrapers, of tall office buildings while he dangled his legs off the side. 

Baekhyun and Jongdae must’ve noticed how his heart monitor was beeping steadily, reporting that he wasn’t running, wasn’t scared, wasn’t doing anything at all except staying in one place. But they never said anything, never asked him why he’d been sitting still more lately, only asking him to get up and run if there was trouble. 

This night, Sehun was watching the night sky, noticing the swarm of clouds that crowded the horizon. He wondered if this was how Batman felt when he stood on shady rooftops in Gotham. But he doubted that Gotham was as beautiful as Central City, that Gotham was a place where golden stars could fall from the heavens to visit him on nights like this.

“You’re getting quite predictable,” Soojung said, landing nimbly on the roof. 

“How did you find me?” Sehun asked.

“I asked Jongdae,” Soojung said, “why are you all the way up here? Are you tired of running?” 

“I’m taking a break,” Sehun said, “it’s a slow night. People are being nice for once, so there’s nothing to do.”           

“Then I’ll sit with you,” Soojung said, swinging her legs over the edge. They sat in silence, watching the flickering lights and the spots of yellow as the taxis drove below them until Sehun hesitantly asked her a question.

“Were you afraid the first time you became Golden Glider?” Sehun asked. 

“No,” Soojung said before quickly amending her denial, “Well. Yeah. But I still kept going, kept flying since Jessica was there with me….But why? Are you afraid? Don’t you have Jongdae and Baekhyun with you? I’m right here, too, you know.” 

She patted his hand, and Sehun sighed, suddenly wondering how he’d tell Jessica that Soojung refused to stop patrolling with him no matter what he said.

“I don’t know,” Sehun said, “The city looks at me and sees something I don’t see. That’s scary to live up to.”

“I think it’s always been there in you,” Soojung said, “I didn’t know hovering over your computer screen and newspapers could make you blind, Sehun. But all that goodness? All that bravery? Compassion? It’s in you whether you think so or not.” 

“Why does everyone think so highly of me,” Sehun said with a single laugh, “I’m just me. Just a writer.” 

“I’ll hope I’ll be there to see the day you realize you’re so much more than what you think,” she said, clucking her tongue. 

“Sehun?” Jongdae’s voice buzzed in his ear, saving him from having to even think of a response, “we’ve got a problem.”

“Two problems,” Baekhyun corrected. 

“What is it?” Sehun asked, pressing a hand to his ear to hear better as he scrambled up to his feet. Soojung pressed her ear against Sehun’s lightning bolt to listen in. 

“A fire on a building on the west side of town,” Jongdae said, “and a hostage situation at a data company on the top floor.”

“It’s pretty time sensitive,” Baekhyun said, “the building’s about to go down in maybe two minutes and there’s still people trapped on the top floors. The police have just arrived on the scene of the hostage crisis, but shots have been fired. I don’t know if you’ll be able to concentrate on both at the same time even with your speed.”

“Oh, you don’t have to!” Soojung said, “Take the fire because…I’m not sure how to stop that, but I’ll take the hostage situation.”

“Are you sure?” Sehun slowly said, “We’re stronger together.” 

“We don’t have time,” Soojung said, shooing Sehun as she jumped off the rooftop. Sehun held his breath, running to the edge to watch as she began skating in the air. “Tell Jongdae to text me the address of the building.” 

Sehun watched the trail of golden ribbons she left behind before he zoomed off towards the fire. When he arrived, he took a deep breath of fresh air before running into the flames and beginning to extract people from inside the building. Tonight, Sehun was so preoccupied with Soojung that he almost didn’t have time to be afraid. Almost. 

“I should’ve given Soojung one of my comms,” Sehun said as he pulled a man out of bed and ran him away from the fire, avoiding falling debris, “Do you think she’s okay? I shouldn’t have let her go by herself.”

“She’s tough,” Jongdae said after a pause, “I’m sure she’s fine.”

“But what if she’s not?” Sehun said as he phased through someone’s front door. He was about to leave after finding no one home before spotting a tiny red beta fish swimming slowly in a tiny bowl. Sehun grabbed the bowl before running outside once more.

“She has to be,” Baekhyun said, “Come on. She’s Golden Glider. The people are scared of her.” 

“Do you think they’ll cooperate if she tries to help them?” Sehun said, something creeping into his heart and squeezing his chest. Maybe it was just the smoke. Sehun bent over, letting out a loud cough.

“You know,” Baekhyun said instead as light-heartedly as he could in the situation, “I really need to make you a retractable gas mask in times like this so your lungs don’t get fucked up.” 

“You didn’t learn the first time?” Sehun said after loudly coughing again. He took a shallow breath before entering the next room, finding a mother frantically picking up her child and running for the front door. Without giving them a warning, Sehun whisked out both the mother and her child and dropped them by the paramedics. 

“Are you all right?” Jongdae asked. After sending Sehun off a thousand times, he didn’t seem panicked. On the outside at least. 

“I’m still alive, and these people still are,” Sehun said, “so yeah. But I’ll check the floors again just in case I missed anyone.” 

But a large explosion stopped him before he could enter the building again, causing him to skid to a stop and stare as the windows shattered and the fires shot outwards. A year ago, Sehun wouldn’t have dreamed he would ever run headfirst into the flames, but here he was today charging straight back into the inferno. He checked every room of the apartment three more times before confirming that there was no one left inside. 

“All right how do I stop the fire?” Sehun asked when he was outside again, “It’s climbing on the outside of the upper levels, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to reach it down here.”

Before Sehun could process the rapid-fire suggestions Jongdae and Baekhyun threw at him, a bright white beam tinged blue shot out of nowhere and smothered the flames, encasing the side of the building in ice. 

“Captain Cold?” Sehun said, whipping around. Sure enough, a hooded figure wearing an expensive, dark blue coat stood near him, continuing to shoot cold blasts until there was no more visible fire. 

“You came?” Sehun asked, unable to blink in case he was imagining things. He stared for a second longer before a smile spread across his face. “Thanks, Jess. I was really wondering how I was going to put that out in time.” 

“Please,” Jessica scoffed, keeping her cold gun raised, “You and everyone else in there could burn for all I care. I just came because Soojung’s probably around here risking her life with you. Where is she?” 

Sehun hesitated, which was enough to cause Jessica to snatch her gun away from the fire, stalk forwards, and press it to Sehun’s chest.

“Where is she?” she said again, “Don’t make me ask again, Flash.”

“She’s handling the hostage situation across town at a data company,” Sehun said. 

“What do you _mean_ she’s not here?” Jessica said, raising her voice and pressing the gun harder against Sehun’s chest, “You left her alone?” 

“She insisted that we should each take one situation because we wouldn’t be able to do both at the same time,” Sehun explained as calmly as he could, “the police are already there at the hostage situation, so I think she’ll be fine.”

Jessica suddenly shoved Sehun to the floor.

“You _idiot_ ,” she yelled, the barrel of her cold gun brightening as she placed her finger on the trigger, “don’t you know what the police do to people like us? Do you think they’ll look at her and see the Soojung we know, or Golden Glider, criminal?” 

Her expression was masked, hidden behind her goggles, but Sehun was sure she must have mirrored his own wide eyes and racing pulse. Before the trigger was pulled, Sehun pulled himself to his feet, snatched Jessica up, and raced across town. Jessica stumbled as they stopped in front of the company building. Police cars were parked around the surrounding areas, and some officers huddled together, waiting for orders. But Sehun wasn’t here for them and scanned the horizon for who he wanted to find. 

“There!” Sehun said, pointing to the sky. At the top of the building, Soojung took a hostage by the hand and skated her to the ground. Without hesitating, she leapt upwards and skated back to the top floor to try and extract another hostage. 

“She’s good,” Sehun said. 

“She always has been,” Jessica said, putting a hand across her eyes as she watched Soojung sneak another hostage out. 

Sehun was about to run inside the building to knock out the perpetrators if Soojung hadn’t already taken care of them. But before he could take a single step, he and Jessica had been recognized.

“Oh my god it’s the Flash!” someone cried out. 

“Oh my god it’s Captain Cold,” someone else yelled, “Drop your weapons and put your hands on your head.” 

A few police officers surrounded them, guns raised. Jessica sighed and held out her cold gun.

“Wait!” Sehun said, stretching his hands out as he intervened, “she’s not here to hurt anyone.”

“That’s all she does, Flash,” a police officer said, “get out of the way and let us arrest her.” 

“I think I saw Golden Glider,” another police officer said, squinting at the sky, “Are they the ones who took that data place and held everyone hostage?” 

“If Golden Glider did,” Jessica said through gritted teeth, “then why is she helping the hostages escape? Ever thought of that?”

“Why should we believe anything you say? You’re just a criminal,” another police officer said. Sehun saw the situation escalating before his very eyes and stepped in front of Jessica. 

“Listen. The people responsible for the hostage situation is there. Not here,” Sehun said, pointing towards the building. He stared for a second as he watched Soojung guide another hostage down.

“What’s the problem?” someone said as they pushed through the line of police officers.           

“You’re looking at her, chief,” one of the police said. Chief? There was no way this situation could get any worse. 

The chief of police frowned and spoke into her walkie-talkie.

“We have the perpetrators. Retreat and bring all forces here,” she said before facing Sehun, “Get out of here, Flash. If you want something to do, secure the hostages.” 

“They’ve already been secured,” Sehun said, “by Golden Glider.” 

“Golden Glider’s here, too?” the chief said before her eyes widened as she stared at the sky. Blasts of gold tore apart the sky as Soojung shot back into the building, weaving in and out of the air as the perpetrators returned fire. A hailstorm of gunshots echoed in the area, and Sehun watched with his heart leaping into his throat as Soojung dodged bullet after bullet. 

The chief of police grabbed a megaphone from another officer and shouted.

“Put the hostage down,” the chief said, raising her gun with her other hand as she began shooting into the air, “and put your gun down.” 

Until this moment, until the police surrounding them shot all at once, Sehun had forgotten that the police placed shoot on sight orders on Captain Cold and Golden Glider. Sehun had enough time to snatch the bullets out of the air before they pierced Jessica’s body, enough time to disarm the police officers before they could reload, and enough time to turn and see the chief pull the trigger again. 

But he didn’t have time to do anything else except watch as a bullet struck Soojung. 

Jessica let out a scream and pushed through the police, racing towards her sister. And Sehun, who could bend time with his own fingers, wondered why he hadn’t gone to her sooner. Why he hadn’t stopped the chief before she had pulled that trigger. Why he hadn’t jumped in front of her gun and batted the bullet out of the way in time.

He ran faster than he had ever run, watching the horizon as Soojung fell like a star plummeting out of the sky. Sehun had never tested the limits of his powers, but tonight wasn’t a night to wonder if he could do the impossible because he was the impossible. Without hesitating, he ran straight up the side of the building, grabbing the hostage with one arm, Soojung with the other. But Sehun had no wings and fell through the air, the weight of two others dragging him down. Resisting the urge to scream, Sehun gritted his teeth and kicked his feet through the air, managing to land on the top of a ladder the firefighters had pulled out of their fire truck. Sehun wanted to stumble, to trip as the impact from the landing slightly shook the ladder, but he held on and put one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other until they landed.

Sehun laid the hostage and Soojung on the ground. The hostage seemed fine, terrified but fine, so he turned to Soojung and felt his heart stop.

There was blood everywhere, so much blood. 

Sehun didn’t know where to start, which parts of her body to press to stop the bleeding. Soojung slightly turned her head towards Sehun, her mouth slightly moving. Sehun grabbed her hand to listen, but he heard nothing. 

She blinked once. 

Then never again. 

There was always all the time in the world to think of last words, but never enough time to say them because there was only silence now. 

Silence.

Sehun could stretch a second into a minute, a minute into an hour, and an hour into eternity, but what was the point if he couldn’t turn back time and save her? 

The police were yelling, sirens blaring, footsteps pounding into the pavement, but Sehun heard none of that, only able to sit, shoulders slumped, and hold a limp hand waiting to fall the second he let go. 

Someone dropped beside Sehun and shook Soojung’s shoulders. It was then when Sehun finally heard everything all at once. Jessica calling out Soojung’s name again and again and again, Jessica struggling to speak through her tears, Jessica begging Soojung to wake up. But the light had dimmed from Soojung’s body, the gold gone, and there was a terrible silence that Sehun and Jessica sat in for exactly one second before the police disrupted it. 

“There she is,” one called, his voice sounding closer and closer, “Put your hands on your head, Captain Cold, and no one else will need to get hurt.” 

Sehun heard gunshots and let go of Soojung’s hand to stand up and pluck the bullets out of the air. He stood, chest heaving, fist clenched on the pieces of metal, and wondered why they were still shooting, why they could still shoot after what they had done. Beside him, Jessica stood up on shaky feet. Sehun heard the high-pitched shrill of the cold gun, but he did nothing. 

“I will destroy this city for what you’ve done,” Jessica yelled as she shot her gun at the police and moved its blast horizontally. The men dove behind their cruisers, but one wasn’t so lucky and clutched at his frozen arm as he screamed. 

Jessica turned, gun pointed at Sehun’s chest, before she pushed past him and ran into the distance without looking back. 

With nothing else to do, Sehun dropped back to his knees and picked up Soojung’s hand again. The first time someone had died right in front of him, he had tried to restart the person’s heart, tried to shake him back to life. But now, he did nothing because he looked at her blank eyes, the light gone, the life gone, and knew. 

He knew. 

And unlike before, there was no screaming, no crying. Just a numbness, a cold shock..

“Get away from her, Flash,” he heard the chief of police shout, “You can’t save everyone, and you shouldn’t bother to save criminals like her. Leave her body for forensics.”           

“But she’s my friend,” Sehun said, his voice sounding small when he spoke, “But she was my friend.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“I wasn’t fast enough to save her,” Sehun said when Jongdae finally found him curled up in the blankets minutes later. He didn’t have the energy to shower, but he had the energy to all but rip that Flash suit off of him. Hero? Him? Never. 

“I wasn’t fast enough to save her,” Sehun repeated when Jongdae gathered him in his arms and held him. His eyes were wide open, replaying that last second when she fell, that last time she blinked. 

“I wasn’t fast enough to save her,” Sehun whispered when Jongdae pressed a kiss to his head and murmured comforting words. His voice shook, his bottom lip trembled, and he finally gave into the tears that he had desperately tried to repress, burying his face into Jongdae’s chest as he cried.

So this was his fault. His fault again. How much blood did he have on his hands? One policeman. One friend. How many more would there be in the future?

“I’m going to give it up,” Sehun said between tears, his shoulders shaking. Jongdae rubbed his back slowly, but it didn’t help as much as it usually did. “I can’t do it anymore.” 

“That’s okay,” Jongdae said, after he kissed the top of Sehun’s head, “Take all the time you need.” 

“No,” Sehun shook his head, “ _really_. The Flash is dead. He died with Soojung. I can’t do it anymore.” 

“Would she have wanted that?” Jongdae asked.          

“No,” Sehun sniffled, “but it’s what I want.” 

“Okay,” Jongdae said. The low, soothing tone of Jongdae’s voice made Sehun’s eyes feel heavier and heavier. He always could fall asleep to nothing but Jongdae’s voice. “If that’s what you want, then okay. I’ll tell Baekhyun.” 

Sehun managed to mumble out a weary _thank you_ before falling asleep in Jongdae’s arms. It was a troubled sleep, and he dreamt that he kept chasing Soojung, but every time she stretched out her hand, he was unable to reach her, feeling nothing but air between his fingers.

That morning, he woke up with tears on his cheeks. 

Jongdae told him to take the day off, but Sehun shrugged him off and headed for the showers. He had to work. He had to write her article. It would be the last thing he could give her, so he had to finish it. 

He slightly calmed down when he walked outside, relaxing as he saw a mother picking up her baby and telling her what different flowers they would buy from the flower shop around the corner. He felt better when he saw a child help his grandmother out of the car and assist her into a store. And he could almost manage a smile when Jongdae walked him to work this morning, one arm placed on Sehun’s back to guide him, hands prepared to catch him if he fell. 

Sehun was so distracted by the sights around the city and his morning routine that he didn’t realize what would happen when he pushed through the front doors of Jitter’s. He was even so absent-minded that he forgot until it was his turn in line.

“The same,” Sehun said when he reached the counter, keeping his gaze downwards on the advertisement of the special drinks Jitter’s offered. He wondered when they’d finally get rid of the special Flash drink and glared at the frothy thunderbolt. “I’ll have the same as usual.” 

“Sorry,” a voice Sehun didn’t recognize said, causing him to look up, “I don’t know what your usual order is? Can you please explain?” 

Sehun stared. 

Of course Soojung wouldn’t be there.

Of course. 

Of _course_. 

Jongdae stepped in and ordered for both of them, giving Sehun enough time to turn away to hide his blurry eyes. He stared up at the ceiling as they waited for their coffees, wondering how the room could feel so empty even with the crowds of people lining up, the pastries baking in the oven, and the coffee roasting. 

Jongdae received a call from work just when they had reached Sehun’s work building. Sehun knew what case and whose body it was from how Jongdae hastily shoved the phone in his pocket. 

“It’s okay,” Sehun said before Jongdae could say anything, “I can walk up by myself.” 

“If you need anything,” Jongdae said, taking Sehun’s face between his hands, “Call me, and I’ll be there in a second.” 

Sehun could not manage anything more than a slight pull of his lips and nodded. Jongdae kissed him once before running off, disappearing in the crowd. 

Sehun stood in the middle of his street, staring up at the building. As people walked past him, he suddenly felt all alone, and feeling the tears from earlier return, he jammed a pair of sunglasses and walked inside, mumbling a quiet greeting to the security guard as he jammed his finger on the elevator button. 

When the elevator doors opened after taking him all the way up to his floor, Sehun brushed past his co-workers who jeered at him, loudly commenting that he must’ve had a nice night if he was wearing hangover glasses today. In the corner he spotted Junmyeon talking to some writer. 

“Don’t stop now,” Junmyeon said, throwing his hand in the air, “This story isn’t over. I will write myself into it if I have to.”

Junmyeon noticed Sehun before he had the chance to escape into his office. Sehun did not have the energy for him today, so he tried to speed walk down the hallway to avoid a conversation. He was unsuccessful.           

“Sehun!” Junmyeon said with a smile, “Good to see you! What’s up with the glasses.” 

“Long night,” Sehun muttered, wishing he hadn’t stopped when Junmyeon called out his name, “You’re here again?” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon said, “This writer keeps wanting to end today’s story at this one point, but it can’t stop here, you know? The end isn’t the end. I’m supposed to be in the story before it finishes, so I’ll write myself in if I have to.” 

“Good for you,” Sehun managed. There was nothing Junmyeon could do to squeeze himself into an already published story, but there was always tomorrow. “Keep going. One day you’ll make the headlines.” 

“Thanks for your faith in me,” Junmyeon smiled, and this time he simply put his hand on Sehun’s shoulder instead of slapping it, “It really means a lot, Sehun.” 

Sehun nodded and was just about to try and return his smile before Junmyeon decided to run his mouth again.

“Did you hear that Golden Glider died yesterday?” Junmyeon asked, “That’s one less criminal to worry about, right?” 

Sehun balled his hands into fists, and before he knew it, found himself shouting at him. 

“Can’t you have more _sympathy_?” he shouted, “A death is a death, and can’t you care about someone other than yourself for just a _second_?” 

The floor was dead quiet, and Junmyeon blinked for a second before his features relaxed into a bright smile again.

“What’s the problem, Sehun?” Junmyeon laughed, “Why do you always care about people dying? People you don’t even know? Don’t you know all the terrible things she’s done, too?”

Sehun was about to grab Junmyeon by the collar, but before he had time to get himself fired and on the mayor’s blacklist, Joohyun stepped out of their office. She crossed her arms and spoke in a voice soft enough that everyone had to quiet down to hear, but firm enough that no one questioned her. 

“You don’t work here, so stop spending your time on our floor,” she curtly told Junmyeon before turning to Sehun and softening her voice, “and you. Come here.” 

Sehun ripped off his sunglasses to glare at Junmyeon, not caring that he probably looked like a mess before he stormed away. Joohyun locked the door behind them, and it was then in the comfort of their little office that Sehun finally sat down in his chair, put his head down on the desk, hid his head in his arms, and cried again. He didn’t care who heard him at this point. 

Joohyun pulled a chair next to him and stroked his shoulder. 

“I saw the news. I’m sorry,” she said, rubbing his back in a slow, circular motion, “Why did you come today? You should’ve taken the day off?” 

Sehun simply shook his head and felt his shoulders continue to shake.           

“I used to see her at Jitter’s whenever I went,” Joohyun mused, “and I remember when she took out those men who were bothering me that one night. It was very kind of her.” 

“She loved her sister more than anything,” Sehun said, his voice muffled, “That’s the type of person she was.” 

“I’m sure she did,” Joohyun said, “I know you were going to write about her. Will you turn it into an obituary, or just put it on your regular column?” 

“Regular column,” Sehun answered. Obituaries were for dead people, and half of his heart was still in denial. “The city should know who she is, not who she was.” 

“All right,” Joohyun slowly said, pulling her laptop across the desk and placing it on her lap as she worked next to Sehun. The sound of tapping keys calmed him, and after an hour or two of feeling like the world could not go on, Sehun pretended like it could when he sat up and started to work. He could not bear to write Soojung’s article today, so he checked the copy editor’s comments on a previous draft of another article instead and absent-mindedly browsed the internet for any distraction.

 

FLASH SAVES PEOPLE FROM FIRE 

FLASH APPREHENDS CAPTAIN COLD AND GOLDEN GLIDER

 GOLDEN GLIDER DEAD

 

These were news articles written by different newspapers, and Sehun hated them all. He spent the rest of the day leaving angry anonymous comments. The Flash should have done better. What was the Flash thinking? The Flash wasn’t fast enough. Golden Glider tried her best. The Flash didn’t. The Flash, the best of the city? 

Never. 

It was Joohyun who walked him home today after their shifts ended. She looked both ways before leading them across the street, something Sehun wouldn’t have remembered to do if he was alone, and clutched his arm tightly as she distracted him with talk about some work party she didn’t want to go to. In what seemed like hours later after wandering around the city, Joohyun safely delivered him back home. Jongdae answered the door, expression slightly falling when he saw what Sehun looked like. He exhaled slowly, thanked Joohyun, and invited her to come inside. 

She declined because she was having dinner with Seulgi tonight, and before she left, she gave Sehun one final hug and made Jongdae promise to take care of him. 

Sehun trudged to the couch, and just as he sank into his seat, Jongdae and Baekhyun sat down beside him, making sure Sehun was fine even though he was not. 

They ate dinner in silence, keeping the TV on to speak when no one did. They watched a few minutes of tonight’s game, a few minutes of some drama none were into, and finally because they had run out of channels to flip to, watched Mayor Kim deliver a speech. 

Mayor Kim stood behind a podium, his suit neatly ironed, his silk tie in place, and not a single strand of hair falling into his face. He addressed the crowd with his booming voice and gesticulated grandly as he spoke. Junmyeon stood behind him on one side while the chief of police stood on the next.

“I have always put this city first,” Mayor Kim proudly said, “everything I do, I do for this city, and there is nothing else that I have loved more. This city is my home, your home, and it has been my biggest honor and pleasure to be able to serve you, citizens of Central City.” 

Sehun was never one for politics, so he slid down the couch, debating whether or not it was worth it to reach all the way across the table to change the channel. Jongdae and Baekhyun didn’t care much for politics either, but they both wordlessly stared at the screen, too. 

“I believe in the work we’re all doing together,” Mayor Kim said, pounding his fist on the lectern, “I believe in the good of this city. I believe in the goodness of all of you, and I believe that together…united…we can help make our city even better.” 

He paused, nodding as the live audience clapped their hands. 

“Therefore,” he said, pausing to allow dramatic effect, “I am happy to announce that I am running for re-election. Thank you. Godspeed, Central City.”           

“Big surprise,” Baekhyun mumbled as they all watched the crowd give the mayor a standing ovation.

“What has he actually done anyways?” Jongdae asked. 

“Well,” Baekhyun shrugged, “Would you rather have an incompetent mayor who does nothing like him…or a corrupt mayor?”

“Neither,” Jongdae shrugged, “What do you think, Sehun?” 

“I think…” Sehun began to softly say as he watched Mayor Kim walk through the crowd, shaking everyone’s hands. Junmyeon trailed behind him and copied his father, greeting every person who stood in his way. 

He trailed off when he heard gunshots. 

The crowd started screaming and messily dispersed. Junmyeon grabbed his father and tried to lead him out to safety, but the crowd was too dense. The chief of police had pulled out her gun, staying close to the mayor as she looked around for the source of trouble. 

Sehun could feel Baekhyun’s eyes on him, but he remained seated. 

“The police can handle it,” he said with a shake of his head. 

“No one asked you to go,” Jongdae said, patting his arm, “it’s okay. Just stay.” 

“Yeah,” Baekhyun sighed, blowing his bangs from his face, “they handled things before—” 

“Just like how they handled things with Soojung?” Sehun sharply asked.

No one said anything after that.

Sehun didn’t know why the network hadn’t cut the stream, but they continued to watch as the police formed a circle around the mayor as they tried to continue evacuations. One person was more important than the others? One man was more important than the city he swore to lead? 

The police kept shooting, but what or who they were shooting at was not pictured. Perhaps it was someone who had a grudge against the mayor. Maybe an assassin that his political rivals hired against him. That was what Sehun guessed until a long beam of ice suddenly hit a whole line of police officers.

Sehun shot off the couch as he watched the police fall, struck and frozen by the ice. 

“Jessica?” he said. Sure enough, a familiar figure stalked towards the police with a cold gun raised, hood covering her head. The police continued shooting at her, causing her to duck behind columns before shooting back. 

Sehun stood up, pacing around and around the living room. 

“I can’t do this,” he said to no one in particular, “I can’t…Not again.” 

“No one is asking you to do this if you don’t want to,” Jongdae said. 

Gunshots sounded from the TV, causing Sehun place his hands over his ears. How long before another death? He sighed and turned away from the screen. 

“I wanted to be retired,” he said, stepping into the shadows of the dimly lit kitchen, “I didn’t want to bring out that suit again.” 

Baekhyun turned, resting his arms on the back of the couch as he spoke to Sehun. 

“You just can’t stay away can you,” he said, “you’re always back on your feet before even a week passes.” 

“I wasn’t meant for this,” Sehun wearily said, “Not me. Not this.” 

“But you’re doing it anyways,” Baekhyun said. 

Sehun paused, turning to find Captain Cold charging towards the police, all of them exchanging fire, before he nodded. 

“Because there’s no one else,” he said, “I’ll do it.” 

Maybe the police had requested for backup, and if they did, they hadn’t arrived yet. Maybe it would take them two minutes. Three. But it would only take Sehun a second, so he had no choice.

“Then I’m coming with you this time,” Jongdae announced as he stood up. 

“No,” Sehun immediately said, striding over to push him back to the couch. But Jongdae stood his ground and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I’m coming, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” Jongdae said. 

“But it’s dangerous,” Sehun said. 

“But I don’t want to let you go alone again,” Jongdae said. 

“But what if you get hurt?” Sehun said, grabbing Jongdae’s shoulders, “what if you get shot? Jongdae, you can’t outrun bullets. You can’t outrun her cold gun…What if you die?” 

If he wasn’t fast enough to save Soojung, then what if he wasn’t fast enough to save Jongdae? 

“Don’t think of that,” Jongdae shook his head, “You’re always throwing yourself in danger. The least I can do is come with you.”

Sehun opened his mouth, but before he could reply, Jongdae spoke again. 

“There’s no time to debate this,” he said, the gunshots still sounding through the TV, “so take me with you.” 

Sehun could take off right now and leave Jongdae here. But he knew Jongdae would just hail a taxi or find other ways to go to City Hall. And when he reached there…then what? A stray bullet would strike him, leaving him to bleed out without Sehun? A shard of ice would pierce his leg, making him unable to run to Sehun if he needed help? No, Sehun always felt better when Jongdae was by his side, so he finally exhaled.

And nodded.

“So you’re leaving me alone again?” Baekhyun said, reaching into his bag to pull out an extra set of comms, “What am I? Tech support?” 

“You’re the eyes, Baekhyun,” Sehun said as he placed them in Jongdae’s ears, “eyes, ears, navigational system. I’d be dead without you.” 

“Damn right,” he brightly said, “Now what are you waiting for?” 

“Do you still have…the suit?” Sehun sheepishly asked, “Did you throw it away?” 

Baekhyun stared at him for a few long seconds before he blinked. 

“Why the fuck would I throw away the product of my hard labor?” Baekhyun said with a laugh, “It’s in the same spot. It’s not like I actually believed you retired for good.” 

Sehun was tempted to retire for good one day just to spite Baekhyun. 

Two seconds later, Sehun changed, carried Jongdae as he ran across town, and entered City Hall. As Sehun put Jongdae down, he helped steady him. 

“Oh!” Jongdae said, grabbing Sehun for support, “Wow!”

“I know, right?” Sehun said, squinting in the distance and finding police cars speeding towards the building. They had maybe thirty seconds before the police barged in. Maybe less. “Let’s go.” 

Sehun thought he would feel better if Jongdae was with him, but really, as he ran them inside and ducked behind a column, he only felt worse. Worse as he felt bullets pepper the ground around him. Worse as he wondered why everyone couldn’t just put down their guns. Worse as he wondered how he was supposed to do his job without worrying about Jongdae. 

“Go,” Jongdae said, waving his arm, “I’ll be fine.”

Sehun hesitated. 

“Stay here. Please,” Sehun said. 

“Okay,” Jongdae smiled. 

Of course he wouldn’t because he was Jongdae, but Sehun trusted he would have the common sense to at least wait for the gunfire to cease or thin before running after him.

With that, Sehun darted behind a closer column and observed the scene. Jessica advancing faster than the few policemen could handle. The chief of police shouting orders as she stood in front of the Kims. Junmyeon shielding his father with his own body and reassuring him over and over again that they would be fine, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to them, that they would make it out alive. His father clutched at his son’s arm and pressed his lips together as the police fell back to put more space between them and Jessica. But the action had caused them to back up into a corner. 

As Jessica stalked forwards, holding the trigger down as she shot out wave of ice after ice, Sehun ran, whisking the police officers out of the way one by one. But before he could take out the rest of the people, the second passed. 

“Captain Cold,” Sehun shouted as he ran in front of her line of fire, “ _stop._ ”

Startled by the sudden sight of Sehun, Jessica stopped, her finger finally off of the trigger. 

“What…why did you do that?” Junmyeon shouted, “You just took away my father’s line of defense.” 

“Stop,” Sehun said, ignoring Junmyeon. He raised his hands out and stepped closer to Jessica. It would be so easy for her to kill him now if he wanted. “Don’t do this.” 

“It’s the only thing to do,” Jessica said, keeping her grip steady, “Get out of the way, Flash.” 

“We have money,” Junmyeon loudly said even as his father tried to quiet him, “Whatever it is you want, we can give it to you.” 

“You can’t give me what I want,” Jessica said. 

“Impossible,” Junmyeon said, “My father’s life is priceless, so name your price, and we’ll match it. A million dollars? A private island with your name?” 

“Step out of the way, kid,” Jessica said, ignoring Junmyeon as he continued to list anything and everything he would give to spare his father’s life. 

“No,” Sehun said, “Put the gun down. I know you’re hurt, and I know you’ll make the right choice when—” 

“You don’t know anything about me,” Jessica snarled, closing the distance and roughly pressing her gun against Sehun’s chest, “This is your last warning. Get out of my way, or I’ll shoot you.” 

“Not if I shoot you first,” someone else said. 

Sehun tore his gaze away from Jessica’s goggles and found Jongdae standing next to her. He had managed to find a gun and aimed it at her head. 

“Would you really shoot me?” Jessica said, turning her head slightly to look at Jongdae. 

“You’re pointing your gun at the Flash,” Jongdae said, “I’ll think about the consequences after I shoot.” 

Jessica smiled. 

“Then pull the trigger,” she said, “go on. Then you’ll figure out how your life will change after.” 

Sehun saw the look on Jongdae’s face and hastily intervened before the situation could worsen.

“Don’t,” he tried again, a little softer, “You can be better. She would want you to be better.” 

Jessica turned her attention back to Sehun and raised her gun higher. 

“She is the reason I’m doing this,” Jessica spat, “I don’t fucking care about the mayor. Or his idiot son. I just want her murderer’s head.” 

The chief of police blinked, widened her eyes when she realized, and continued to hold out her gun. 

“Oh, good!” Junmyeon said in relief, “then if you’ll excuse me and my father, we’ll be leaving.

“Go,” Sehun said without looking back. He heard scuffling, footsteps pounding on the marble floor, and he was sure that if he looked behind him now, Junmyeon and his father would be gone. 

“Listen, kid,” Jessica said through gritted teeth, “Let me kill this one person, and I’ll lay low for a while. Be out of your hair to give you a break.” 

“I can’t let you do that,” Sehun shook his head. 

“It’s just one person,” Jessica finally shouted, “one murderer. I’m already one, too, so what difference will it make?” 

“This is not what she would’ve wanted, Jess,” Sehun said in a softer tone. 

Jessica stared at him for one second before attempting to push Sehun out of the way. He dodged her arm, and before she had a chance to shoot, he grabbed the chief of police and ran her to safety before returning. Jessica turned around wildly to find the chief. 

“Why do you always ruin everything?” she said, her free hand clutching her head, “Why is everything always your fucking fault? Why—” 

Then the door burst open, and the SWAT team stormed through with shields and guns bigger than the ones the officers had. Jessica yelled and shot her gun above them, sending a giant chandelier crashing down. Sehun looked up to find crystal raining from the sky, grabbed Jongdae, and pulled him to safety. When he looked back, the chandelier finally smashed to the floor, and Jessica was gone. 

Her last words haunted him, and Sehun breathed as he realized she was right. It was his fault. Everything was his fault. It would be better if he just— 

“I would’ve done it,” Jongdae said in a softer voice, shaking Sehun from his thoughts, “if she threatened you, I would’ve pulled the trigger.” 

“It’s okay,” Sehun said. The SWAT team was preoccupied with searching every room and exit for Jessica, so he reached out to hold Jongdae’s hand. “I know she wouldn’t have, so don’t ever worry about killing someone.”           

“It’s all I worry about sometimes,” Jongdae admitted, his other hand still gripping the gun tightly, “when I find that second murderer, you might have to hold me back.”

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

Sehun could not look at that his Flash suit without remembering, without feeling guilty. The Flash was a hero, but Sehun was just a boy who had lost a friend, who wasn’t fast enough to save her. The Flash was supposed to protect this city, but Sehun couldn’t even protect Soojung. The Flash was supposed to help others, but Sehun felt like he was the one who needed help because he could not sleep without seeing images of her falling from the sky and could not breathe without feeling like his throat was closing. 

Baekhyun didn’t ask him to take down the few robbers here and there, but he still monitored the police scanners. He never stopped listening, always had a list of alerts he scanned through to determine if the police needed exterior help. But what was the point? Sehun couldn’t help them.

So for the next few days, Sehun wrote as much as he could to distract himself.

It was easier this way. It really was. The more he worked, the more he forgot. The more he talked about something else with Jongdae, Baekhyun, and Joohyun, the more he remembered how to feel fine again. But at work, Joohyun still had to remind him to breathe.

And eat. 

Because he would work through his lunch break if he wasn’t having lunch with Jongdae and often forget to eat. Joohyun brought him food and watched him until he lifted a fork to his mouth and begrudgingly ate. 

But soon, the only thing left to write was Soojung’s article.

It was already hard to talk about her, so Sehun didn’t know how he could even write about her because there were no words, no right words that he could use to describe how amazing she had been. 

And where would he start? 

With Jessica? With her own birth? And what should he include? He was limited to a certain word count, so he could not write everything even if Soojung deserved whole books written about her. 

 _Soojung is…_

_Soojung was…_

_Soojung is._

_Was._

_Was._  

He read through his interview notes for inspiration, but there was nothing much about Soojung. She had spent the whole interview talking about Jessica after all, especially how Jessica would pick her up from school, how Jessica helped her with her homework and cooked for her, how Jessica dropped out of an engineering program to take care of her. 

But there were glimpses of Soojung here and there, little snatches of her own life that had accidentally slipped out, like how she had given up ice-skating because they couldn’t afford it and how she had never asked for anything but her sister’s love. 

And how she received that and so much more. 

A roof over their heads. College tuition. A way to get rid of their father. 

Sehun paused, closing his notebook to stare out the window and take a break. The clouds blurred before his eyes, and he wondered what Jessica must be feeling if he was like this. 

It was easier to start at the end rather than the beginning, so he flipped open his computer and typed in her last quote. 

 _I think the only thing Central City should know about me is that I love my sister more than anything in the world. I am happy because she loves me, and because I love her, I hope she is happy, too._  

"How are you doing?" Joohyun asked, pulling Sehun from his thoughts. She had been peering over his shoulder and must have noticed what he was writing. 

"I don't know," Sehun said staring at his document, "She's gone, so I don't know. There are some moments where I feel fine again, but it doesn't feel right. I'm not supposed to feel happy when she's gone." 

"She would want you to feel happy, Sehun," Joohyun gently said, "Don't feel guilty about living your life." 

Sehun didn’t reply and turned his attention to the window again. Outside, cars whooshed past each other, looking like little toys while tiny people strolled around looking like ants. It was just another day to them. Did they know what had just happened? Did they know Soojung had just died? 

Sehun sighed and took one last look outside the window. It was past lunch, past break, so he had to start writing again. But before he could turn back to his writing, he saw something rush past the streets so fast that he would've missed it if he had blinked.

The white blur again? 

Impulsively, Sehun muttered out an excuse to Joohyun and took off. He didn't have his Flash suit, but he sprinted out of his building and followed the blur. The blur turned every few seconds, weaving through the street effortlessly. Sehun was forced to stop pursuing it when he could feel cinders burning up his clothes. As he let the blur disappear from his sight, he wondered. 

What if he really wasn't alone? 

What if someone else had been struck by lightning that night? 

What if there was someone else like him? 

If there were another person as fast as him, then Sehun wouldn't have to be the Flash anymore. He could retire from his Flash duties and continue to live normally like he wanted to. No Flash. No hero business. No crime fighting. No more losing. No more loss. 

The sound of his phone ringing jolted him from his thoughts. After pulling his phone out of his pocket, he didn’t recognize the number, and against his better judgment, he hesitantly picked up the call. 

“Hello, are you Mr. Oh Sehun?” a voice said.

“Yes?” Sehun said. 

“We are calling from Central City’s Westside Morgue,” a voice said, “We regret to inform you that Jung Soojung has died.” 

“Yes,” Sehun said, feeling his throat close up, “I know.” 

“She listed you as one of her emergency contacts,” the voice said, “so—” 

“Emergency contact?” Sehun asked. He hadn’t remembered giving his personal contact information to her. 

“Yes,” the voice confirmed, “The details of her funeral are still undetermined. Will you be in charge of organizing her service?” 

“Yes,” Sehun said, “Thank you for letting me know. When can I come?” 

“Anytime. We are open from 9AM to 7PM,” the voice said, “Have a good day.” 

Sehun heard himself repeat the sentiment, and after he hung up, he stood there trying to remember…When had Soojung listed him as an emergency contact? It wasn’t like she had no one else, and she surely had other family, other friends. Was he really that important to her? Why him? Why him when he had failed her?

He supposed he would never get a chance to ask her himself.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ

 

 

Sehun had tried to organize Soojung’s funeral, but when he arrived at the morgue, he had found that everything had been sorted out already. Jessica had probably taken care of every detail. 

Sehun had at least wanted to send flowers, and after spending too long at the flower shop, he decided to buy three different arrangements. 

On the day of the funeral, Sehun prepared to attend the service by himself, wondering if Jessica would kick him out the moment she saw him. 

As he stood in front of the mirror to fix his tie that felt like it was strangling his neck, he stared at his reflection. He looked the same, but he didn’t feel the same. He couldn’t recognize himself, and he felt both younger and older than he really was. 

"Here," Jongdae said, gently pushing Sehun's hands away after he continued to struggle with his tie, "Let me." 

Sehun dropped his hands to his sides and let Jongdae take care of him. He couldn't stand looking at himself for any longer, so he stared at Jongdae instead. Jongdae focused on the tie, his fingers deftly moving to fix what Sehun had messed up. Sehun felt his throat start tightening and wondered if he could at least wait until he reached the funeral before he started crying again. 

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Jongdae said after he finished, reaching up to touch Sehun's cheek, "This wasn't your fault."

Sehun shook his head, not knowing what to say. 

"I'll have my cellphone on at all times if you need me," Jongdae said before pulling his work jacket on. Work. Work again. Jongdae always had to work. Baekhyun sat beside them on a chair in the corner, his fingers flying over the keyboard of the computer. He tilted the screen away from Sehun's view, but from the way his lips pulled into a frown, Sehun knew that he was monitoring the police scanner again. 

"I'll be back," Sehun softly said, looking away so Jongdae wouldn't see the tears that had pricked his eyes. Jongdae must have noticed anyways because he kissed Sehun's forehead before sending him off with a hug. 

Sehun raced through the city, and it was a miracle that he had not crashed into a car or a building yet because his vision had grown blurry. Before, the city looked like a blur of lights, but now it was like he was watching the city in solemn watercolor. 

The church was empty when he arrived, so after checking the schedule to make sure he had come to the right place at the right time, he took a seat in the pews and waited. Sehun stood up after seven minutes without seeing anyone and asked the nearest employee if he had mistakenly received the wrong information. 

“They’ve already started the burial, dear,” was his only response. 

Sehun hurried to the fields, hoping he wasn’t late. He looked around for a large congregation of people, but he only found a few scattered figures standing around the weathered tombstones. There was no one else around, so Sehun trudged towards them, grass brushing at his ankles. 

When he finally approached the people, he found a preacher, gravediggers, a woman dressed in black with long brown hair. And a coffin.

"Is this Jung Soojung's funeral?" Sehun said, hating how hoarse his voice sounded. 

The woman turned at the sound of his voice, and Sehun forgot to breathe for a second. The woman frowned, glaring at him with red, puffy eyes, and clutched crumpled up tissues into her hands. Sehun almost didn’t realize who she was until he found glimpses of Soojung in her expression. Though she appeared to him without her gun, without her goggles, without her thick blue parka, Jessica was still recognizable. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked after a sniffle. 

"Isn't this Soojung's funeral?" Sehun asked, looking around anywhere but the coffin, "Where is everyone else? I thought I arrived on time, but you’re already out here. " 

Jessica's eyebrows knitted together, and she let out a loud scoff. It would've sounded threatening, but they both knew it had none of the bite she had intended. 

"Does it look like we would be the types of people to have thousands to mourn our death? People who care for us?" Jessica said, raising her voice. A few meters away from her, the gravediggers poked at the ground with their shovels. 

"I'm sorry," Sehun said, wishing he could speak louder than this to show he really meant it, "I really am."

"No you're not," Jessica shook her head, "So I don't know why you came. I didn't think you cared. Especially since you couldn't run fast enough to save her."

Sehun closed his eyes for a moment and hung his head.

"She listed me as an emergency contact. And I'm her friend, Jessica. Really," Sehun said when he found the composure to respond.

"She never mentioned you before this," Jessica said. The preacher closed his book and waited for them to continue, "I never knew you were close until I ripped off your hood and saw you for what you were underneath that disguise." 

"What am I then?" Sehun asked, finally looking at the coffin beside them. He considered taking one last peek inside, but he had barely survived the recent visit to the morgue. "Who am I?" 

Jessica opened her mouth to speak before she turned away from Sehun. With her back to him, she looked composed. Collected. Or at least she had looked before she bent over and burst into tears.

Sehun tried to comfort her, but she immediately shrugged him off. He knew these were the worst times to feel alone or be alone, so he waited a moment before he lightly put a hand on her shoulder. She was crying too hard to tell him to leave, so he stayed.

"I am so sorry," the preacher said, interrupting them, "I am so sorry, but I must know. Should I continue now?" 

"What?" Jessica shakily said. She attempted to hide her face behind her hands before giving up, too heartbroken to care that Sehun was seeing her like this. 

"No," Sehun said, straightening up, "Wait a moment." 

He turned to Jessica and whispered.

"I'll be back in a few seconds. Soojung should have more people around her before we have to say good-bye."

Jessica stared at him with some look Sehun didn't recognize. But before he gave her a chance to say anything at all, he ran back home. 

A few seconds later, he whisked Jongdae and Baekhyun back with him. They clutched Sehun’s arm to steady themselves as they struggled to adjust to their new surroundings. Sehun had done his best to dress them in proper funeral clothing in the time he had, but their shirts were untucked, and their ties limply tied. Jongdae was always better at tying them.

"Where are we?" Baekhyun said, letting Sehun shove his hands into his pants to tuck his shirt in. Then he noticed the coffin, the tombstones around him, and fell silent. 

Jongdae said nothing, only tucking in his pants and retying his tie before clasping his hands together, his head bowed. Sehun knew how Jongdae felt about Captain Cold, but the sight of her like this must've made him throw away his differences. 

Jessica glanced at them once before turning back to the coffin. To her sister.

Then the preacher opened his mouth to speak a typical sermon about life after death, death after life. How you don't really lose someone. Not really. Not forever. 

But Sehun heard none of that, too busy trying to remember what Soojung's smile looked like, what her laugh sounded like, how she used to ask him in that same tone of voice. 

_Same?_

"Like always," Sehun whispered to himself. In an attempt to force the tears away, he stared up at the horizon. Too many gray clouds cluttered the sky and hid the sun from sight. It was as if the sun itself couldn’t bear to say one final good-bye to one of its brightest stars. 

As he decided to listen to the preacher for once, Sehun checked to see how Jessica was doing. He had to avert his gaze and stare at the grass after seeing Jessica finally lose it, sobbing as she fell to her knees and knelt by the coffin. She pressed a tissue over her mouth with one hand and touched the coffin with her other. 

Sehun then remembered how eager Soojung had been when she had agreed to help him take care of the city. Then he remembered her golden light. The brightness in her eyes. How she wanted to save people. How he didn't feel alone when they patrolled together. 

And then he remembered this. 

A shot. 

A star falling out of the sky. 

A second that felt like a year. 

Eyes that would never see again. 

A body. 

Soojung.

Sehun could not hold back his tears any longer and gave in to his shaking shoulders, lowered his face into his hands, and cried. Hands rubbed his back and squeezed his shoulder. Jongdae and Baekhyun. Sehun was never alone, but what about Jessica? He peeked through his fingers and saw her mourning alone. 

She would be alone from now on without Soojung because they were all each other had.

So after taking a shuddering breath, Sehun took a few steps forward and knelt by her side. Though she tried to push him away a few times, eventually, she gave up and allowed him to mourn beside her. 

"Do you want to say anything?" the preacher finally said. "Any last words before we have to bury your sister?" 

Jessica bent her head, unable to stop crying long enough to say something. After taking a few short breaths, she tried to speak. 

"She saw the best in me when I only saw the worst, and I wish I could’ve given her everything she deserved...I loved her more than I loved myself, and I hope she knew how much she meant to me." 

She shook her head, gave up, and could not say anything more. Sehun understood. He himself tried to speak, but he could only manage a string of fragmented words between his crying. 

The preacher pitied them and allowed them another few minutes of silence before it was time to bury her. 

"Go," Jessica roughly said as she stood, shoving at Sehun’s shoulders, "Go. I need to do this alone. I need to see her go alone." 

"But you shouldn't be alone," Sehun raised his voice, stumbling after she pushed hard enough. 

Jessica brushed herself off and managed to compose herself. 

"I'll be able to say everything I want to her if you leave," Jessica said, "if you all leave." 

The preacher bowed his head and silently told her that he would be across the field if they needed him, and that she should tell the gravediggers when she was ready. 

Sehun saw twin expressions on his face and Jessica’s face. There was that same grief, that same loss and pain mirrored into the wrinkles that cut into their skin, the tears that bled onto their expressions. 

"I..." Sehun began to say, pulling out a newspaper from his pocket. His voice was hoarse, but he needed to say this at least, "before everything...happened." 

He paused, not knowing how to explain this the way she deserved. 

"Yes?" Jessica said, already shifting a cold expression back onto her face. 

"I write for the newspaper," Sehun said, "about average citizens with amazing stories. I interviewed Soojung for one of the columns, but before she had a chance to see what I wrote, she..." 

Jessica looked away, back to the coffin. 

"Hurry up or I'll kill you," Jessica said, "I'm losing my patience." 

It wasn't the only thing she had lost. 

"Anyways," Sehun said, handing her the newspaper, "I finally wrote her article. You should see for yourself. The interview was about her, but she chose to talk about you.” 

"What?" Jessica said, snatching the newspaper from Sehun’s hands.

"She said that if the people of Central City wanted to know her, then they couldn't do that without knowing you. I know I can't do her justice, but I really tried to relay her words to the city. And her love for you." 

Jessica examined the newspaper briefly. She offered him no expressions of gratitude, but only a single nod. Soojung wasn’t here to communicate what Jessica really wanted to say, so there was only silence. 

"She believed in you," Jessica said just as Sehun was about to leave, "She really did. So don't stop, kid, or I'll kill you. Now let me mourn alone before I blast your head off." 

Sehun managed a small semblance of a smile before he left. He didn't have the heart to run away, but he turned back once to find Jessica kneeling by the coffin and crying against its lid.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun channeled his grief into finding this blur. It had to be a person. This was his way out of the Flash, so it _had_ to be. He didn’t want a partner, someone to run beside him, someone to fight beside him. He had tried that with Soojung, and look where that ended. 

“Are you sure?” Jongdae asked while they were sitting around the rooftop, “I haven’t seen a white blur around the city. I feel like someone else would have reported a sighting by now.” 

“This wasn’t the first time I saw it,” Sehun said, pacing around as the wind tousled his hair. Jongdae watched him as he sat on the ground, his back to the city lights behind him. “But this was the first time that I watched it and thought…maybe I’m not the only one. And if I’m not the only one, then maybe someone else is out there keeping the city safe with these same powers.” 

Jongdae wrinkled his nose. 

"There's no one that can do that better than you," Jongdae said, "and like I said. I think we would've heard of another hero if there was one." 

"Maybe they're hiding," Sehun said. 

"Even you couldn't hide yourself for long with your speed. The news found you before you knew it," Jongdae said. 

"Maybe if we wait, they'll be discovered," Sehun said, "and then I'll talk to them as the Flash and convince them to help." 

"To help or to replace you?" Jongdae asked. 

Sehun stood still, staring at the sights in front of him. At this time of the night, the little lights from the tall office buildings, the glow of the lamps, and the streetlights looked like stars. He took a deep breath, breathing in the chilly air, and sat down beside Jongdae.  

“I think it would be for the best if I’m not the Flash anymore,” Sehun said, “I think I hurt the city more than I help it.” 

Jongdae turned to look at Sehun, observing him silently for a few moments before he spoke. 

"I think you're wrong," Jongdae said, "I think that's just your grief talking. How many people have you saved since you became the Flash? How many crimes have you stopped since then?” 

Sehun couldn’t reply because what did it matter? What did all those stopped crimes and diverted crises matter if he had failed one police officer and Soojung already?

“Listen to me,” Jongdae said. Sehun tore his gaze away from the city and looked at Jongdae. 

Jongdae leaned forwards and held Sehun’s face in his hands. He stared for a moment, his eyes darting from Sehun’s lips to his eyes. 

“You make this city better than what it is,” Jongdae said, “You give it hope. And one day, you will realize that yourself.” 

Sehun sighed and drooped, feeling his shoulders slumping. But Jongdae was there to catch him, to gently steer his head until it rested on Jongdae’s shoulder. 

“When I was the Flash, I did everything all for the city, for the people who shouldn’t have to grow up like you did, all for the people who just…need to know someone’s there,” Sehun said in a smaller voice, “But I can’t be the hero they deserve. I’m trying my best, but it’s not enough.” 

Why would he when he hurt more than he saved? When everything was his fault? 

“My sweet Sehun,” Jongdae said, causing Sehun to slide himself onto Jongdae’s lap and curl up against him. He let out a sigh as he felt one of Jongdae’s hands rub his back and the other wrap around his waist. 

“You do so many things for other people,” Jongdae said, “but you have to remember to do something for your own self, too. Have you ever thought about what you wanted lately? Not what the city wants, what the mayor wants, or even what I want. But you?” 

Sehun fell silent, nestling closer to Jongdae as he thought. If he wasn’t careful, he could fall asleep in seconds with the way Jongdae was holding him. 

“I want to be myself,” Sehun said after a while. Jongdae leaned closer to listen. “I want to be Sehun the journalist. My parent’s son, Joohyun’s best friend, Baekhyun’s brother…Your boyfriend. Your family.” 

Another word was waiting to spill from his lips, but he closed his mouth, hid it in his heart, and saved it for another day. 

“And I want to feel like myself again,” Sehun said, his voice barely a whisper.

"What are you going to do if your self has changed?" Jongdae asked. 

"The city sees a different side of me. That doesn't mean I've changed," Sehun said. 

That was what he believed anyways.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun took the next day off just because he did not have the energy to do anything else. Jongdae had gone to work already, so Sehun spent the rest of the day all by himself, lying on the couch as he watched TV. 

He was hoping for a distraction, but none of the daytime programs were particularly interesting. Eventually, he settled and watched a news channel. After listening to the weather report that announced cloudy weather ahead for the week, the channel broadcasted a speech from the mayor. 

“The events of Captain Cold’s attack at City Hall are still on my mind,” the mayor announced, “and I am sorry to report that the police still have not managed to find her.” 

Sehun pulled a throw pillow to his chest and promised he’d track her down and ask how she was doing. 

“But I know I speak for everyone when I say that we are in a great debt to the Flash,” the mayor said, “His courage is unmatched, and if he had not intervened that night, my son, myself, and the chief of police would have died.” 

Out of nowhere, Junmyeon had appeared, standing next to his father with a wide smile stretched across his lips and nodding at everything his father said. 

“So Flash,” the mayor said as he smiled, “thank you. Thank you for everything.” 

Sehun blankly stared at the TV screen. 

For what? 

Thank you for what? 

Junmyeon chose this moment to steal the mic from his father and spoke. 

“From the bottom of my heart,” Junmyeon said, “thank you for saving my father as well.” 

Sehun groaned and slumped against the sofa. The mayor wasn’t even Jessica’s target, so he shouldn’t be credited with that. 

The mayor placed an arm around Junmyeon’s shoulder and reclaimed the mic.

“Flash, I am personally inviting you to a ceremony that will be held in your honor,” the mayor said. Beside him, Junmyeon’s lips stretched up higher, and he turned to look at his father. “I would like to thank you in person and honor you as the hero you are.” 

Hero? 

Sehun laughed and turned off the TV. What would the mayor do if he didn’t show up to the ceremony? 

 _Hero_? Please. 

Sehun refused to turn on the TV again, and without anything else to do and a desire to distract himself, he paced around the living room and reviewed the case notes from Jongdae’s parents’ murder.

Something the neighbor had said still bothered him…Did he really call twice? Was his first call placed earlier? Had someone really told him to call back if the situation wasn’t urgent? 

The apartment was too quiet and too dangerous with only Sehun and his thoughts, and before he let himself think of Soojung again, he snatched his jacket off the couch, threw it on, and left. 

He didn’t feel any better when he walked through the streets. The crowds suffocated him today, and Sehun felt lost after purposely avoiding Jitter’s. He walked towards the police station across town instead, hoping to at least do something useful and verify the neighbor’s statement as true. 

“Do you keep a log of all your emergency call records?” Sehun said, cutting straight to the point after he entered the station and strode up to the front desk. 

“Yes,” the receptionist said after a pause, flustered by Sehun’s sudden appearance. 

“Can I see them?” Sehun demanded, pressing his hands on the counter, “please?” 

“Do you work for the police?” she asked, "Can I see your credentials?"

Sehun debated lying to her before wondering how much trouble he’d be in when she found out he was only a journalist. 

“No,” he admitted. 

“Then I can’t help you,” she said, turning back to her work, “Good day.” 

But Sehun did not walk all the way here for nothing and knocked on the counter as he spoke. 

“One second,” Sehun said. 

He strode outside, searching the perimeter for an area without cameras before running all the way to the lab, snatching Baekhyun up without telling him, and bringing him back outside the station. 

“What the _fuck_ ,” Baekhyun said, stumbling around, disoriented with the abrupt change in surroundings, “I was just about to—” 

“Sorry,” Sehun said as he steadied him, “I need you to go in there and show the receptionist your badge. I’m trying to find the phone logs to verify if the neighbor was telling the truth.”          

Baekhyun pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

“Can you… _please_ tell me in advance the next time you take me out like this?” Baekhyun said, gripping Sehun's arm for support. 

Sehun promised. 

“Come on,” Baekhyun sighed, fishing his ID out of his pocket. 

The receptionist looked at Sehun oddly after he returned with Baekhyun, and after Baekhyun passed his ID over to counter, she picked it up and examined it carefully. Baekhyun frowned as he watched her bend his ID and hold it up to the light before sliding it back. 

“Fine. What records do you need to access?” the receptionist asked. 

Sehun asked if any emergency calls had been made around the time of Jongdae’s parent’s murder in their neighborhood. The receptionist searched the database and nodded. 

“There was a call made at 2:44AM that night. It was answered by someone at the station there, and the call lasted less than a minute,” the receptionist said, peering at her screen. 

Sehun and Baekhyun shared a look. So the neighbor had been telling the truth. Then who picked up the call? What had they said to reassure the neighbor nothing was wrong?

“Is there any way to read a transcript of that conversation?” Sehun asked. 

“Sorry,” the receptionist said, “If it’s for a case, you’ll need a warrant because that contains personal information.” 

Before Sehun could pull out any piece of paper from his pocket as a warrant in the hopes of scamming the receptionist into giving him the documents he needed, Baekhyun dragged him away to the chairs in the lobby. 

“Do you think the mayor will authorize a warrant if I ask him as the Flash?” Sehun suggested as soon as he sat down. He stared at the receptionist and wondered if he could use his speed and take a peek without her knowing. 

“Are you _really_ going through with this?” Baekhyun asked, “like…what are you going to do when you tell Jongdae? Is it a truth he really wants to hear?” 

“Yes.” Sehun firmly said, “Yes, he does need to hear this. No matter how horrible the truth is.” 

“I know, but…” Baekhyun said, checking his surroundings before continuing to speak in a hushed tone, “You’ve seen the way he gets when you mention the murderer, right?” 

Sehun nodded. It was why he never mentioned the person to Jongdae at all costs. 

“He looks like…” Baekhyun said, trailing off, gesturing vaguely with his hands.

“Like storms are in his eyes. Like lightning’s ready to strike,” Sehun finished for him. 

“Exactly. So if we find this murderer… and I say if. _If_.” Baekhyun said, pressing his finger on Sehun’s thigh to emphasize his point, “Then what will Jongdae do? What if we can’t stop what he wants do?” 

Neither had to directly mention what Jongdae wanted to do. They both knew, and they both feared. 

“I guess we’ll have to keep this between us until we uncover the truth,” Sehun said at last. He hated keeping things from Jongdae, but he had to in this circumstance. 

“We’ll dig this up,” Baekhyun sighed, “for Jongdae. But if we find that the murderer’s still alive, then maybe we’ll…have to keep that between us, too. Or find a way to tell Jongdae without him…you know. Blowing up.” 

Sehun nodded. Baekhyun ran a hand through his hair, but Sehun wasn't as worried. He believed in Jongdae's heart more than he believed in his rage.            

“Now can you please get me back to work?” Baekhyun said, “And run a little slower? Every time you do that I feel like throwing up.”

Before Sehun had a chance to take Baekhyun back, two police officers strode through the front doors, discussing something that made Sehun eavesdrop. 

“The evidence room’s been raided.” 

“What’s been stolen?” 

“Some big guns. Tech. Dangerous tech. Weather Wizard’s wand.” 

“Damn. I thought that was supposed to be moved to Palmer Tech? In Star City?” 

“Never got a chance…Footage seems potentially compromised. Or it’s a glitch. One second everything’s there, and the next, it’s all gone.”

Sehun continued to listen until the police officers disappeared through the next hallway over, wondering…wondering if this was his proof. 

“Can you use your skills and let us access that video?” he whispered to Baekhyun, “I need to see it.” 

Baekhyun stared at him for a whole second, as if debating whether or not Sehun was joking. When Sehun only waited for an answer, Baekhyun shook his head

“Sehun, what the _fuck_ ,” Baekhyun hissed, “I don’t do that anymore.” 

“I thought you were tapping Captain Cold’s phone and messages,” Sehun said, loudly whispering. Luckily, no one was around their immediate vicinity, though the receptionist occasionally gave them looks every now and then. 

Baekhyun lowered his gaze to the floor and sighed. 

“I couldn’t. Sorry,” he said. 

Sehun knew he had failed to do so for a reason other than technical incapability, but he didn't argue because the news hadn’t leaked his identity, and no one else seemed to know who he was.

“The white blur...” Sehun tried a different angle, “I don’t know why they’d steal from the police, but the officer said one second the evidence was there, the other second it wasn’t. It has to be the white blur.” 

Baekhyun only continued to shake his head and pulled out his phone to check the time. 

“It’s probably just a glitch,” Baekhyun, still unable to meet Sehun’s eyes.

“We won’t know for sure until we both see it ourselves,” Sehun said. 

Baekhyun made the mistake of looking up and seeing Sehun’s pout, so five minutes later, they were inside the security room waiting for the guard to pull up footage of the evidence locker. Sehun wasn’t exactly sure how legal viewing the footage this way was, but Baekhyun didn’t seem to have any problems with bribing the guard who owed him a favor. If bribery was fine, then why was hacking not? 

Sehun knew the answer, so he only thanked Baekhyun for helping him. Baekhyun nodded, offering Sehun a small smile. But Baekhyun had grown impatient with how inefficiently the security guard was working, so he pushed him out of the way, sat down in the chair, and searched for the footage himself. His fingers flew across the keyboards, his blank expression illuminated by the glow of the computer screens. A second later he beckoned Sehun to come closer and pressed play. 

The footage showed the evidence locker undisturbed, empty for ten seconds before out of nowhere, its drawers were suddenly pulled out, some of its contents upended onto the floor, and its others stolen.  

“Is this a glitch?” Sehun asked, observing the damage that had been left with no sign of the perpetrator. 

“No,” Baekhyun quietly said, “I checked.”

Sehun knew better than to ask how, so he only grinned. 

“Then I was right!” Sehun said, clasping Baekhyun’s shoulder, “the white streak is real.”

Baekhyun offered him a mumbled _you were right_ , leaving the footage on loop. Even in slow motion, the cameras were unable to catch anything but a slight blur. 

“I told you they’re out there,” Sehun said, pleased his mind hadn't been playing tricks on him. 

“What do they need all that stuff for?” Baekhyun asked, “Especially Weather Wizard’s wand?” 

“Is it too optimistic to say it’s for something good?” Sehun said, the grin sliding off of his face. When he first received his powers, he had only raced around the city, done his chores at a thousand times his normal rate, and sped read books to test what he was capable of. Not break into a police station, steal some high powered tech, and leave without a trace. 

“Yeah,” Baekhyun said, closing the footage, “It is. People aren’t as nice as you, Sehun.” 

He lifted his hands from the keyboard as if he had been burned and wiped his hands on his pants.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“You’re a hard person to find,” Sehun said as he took a seat at the bar and stared at the bartender in front of him. She stood with her back faced to him as she rearranged the shelf of alcohol. After nearly a minute of silence, Sehun thought he hadn’t been heard over the booming bass and opened his mouth to repeat what he had said before the bartender finally spoke. 

“Please tell me you’re not who I think you are,” the bartender said. 

That was not the greeting he hoped for, not even the greeting he expected, and after recovering from the slight shock that he hadn’t been stabbed yet, he responded. 

“What’s up,” Sehun said, “Can I have a drink?” 

The bartender tied up her long, brown hair before turning around, scowling as soon as she saw Sehun. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Jessica asked, tapping a finger on the counter. She had traded her blue parka for a black tank top and her gun for a cocktail shaker tonight. 

“Did you know I had to ask every single shady guy in the city if they knew what happened to Captain Cold?” Sehun said instead. He had wanted to check on Jessica, but she had disappeared without a trace after the funeral. After searching every sketchy place in the city and asking around, Sehun learned Jessica had picked up a bartending job in a bar that criminals often frequented. 

“Go away,” she ordered him, “Do it while I’m being nice.”

Sehun would have taken her threat more seriously if she weren’t currently shaking a cocktail shaker in the air.

“I’m glad to see you have a job. And you’ve stopped the Captain Cold thing,” Sehun said. 

“I didn’t,” Jessica said as she smoothly poured the contents of the shaker into a glass and passed it to a customer three seats away from Sehun, “I’m planning a long term heist. You won’t see me for a few months.” 

“Oh,” Sehun said, placing his arms on the counter and leaning forwards, “Well. I wanted to ask how you’re doing. Are you okay?”

“No,” Jessica said, immediately shaking her head, “Don't ask me that question. I hate that question.” 

Her expression stayed neutral. Even without her goggles, it was hard to fully read her. 

“Why not?” Sehun asked, surprised she still hadn’t tried to kill him yet. Beside him, someone ordered a mojito, and it was almost unsettling to see Jessica taking orders instead of giving them. It was too bad Soojung wasn’t here to see her work a civil job like this. 

“Don’t,” Jessica said, pulling out a cutting board, a knife, and a few limes, “We’re not friends, we don’t know each other, and I will gladly shoot you with my gun without hesitation again if you—” 

“But I really want to know,” Sehun said. He wouldn't leave until he received an answer. Or until he was forced to flee for his life. “How are you?” 

Sehun interpreted the single raised eyebrow on Jessica’s face as his death sentence. She was probably deciding which was the best way to kill him without any witnesses wasn’t she. 

“Ask a different question or leave,” Jessica said, pointing her knife at Sehun. 

Sehun conceded after eyeing the tip of the blade. 

“Okay. Can I have some water?” he asked. 

Jessica glared at him, snatched a glass from behind the counter, filled it up to the brim, and roughly slammed it on the counter, causing water to spill out. 

“Thanks. Can I…have a little red umbrella?” Sehun asked as he took a sip of his water. 

“No,” Jessica snapped. 

“Please?” Sehun asked, “I’ll be quiet if you give me one.” 

Jessica quickly shoved a tiny red paper umbrella into his drink without another word. Sehun drank his water silently as he watched her cut the limes and squeeze a few tablespoons of lime juice into a glass, adding sugar, club soda, and alcohol together. After mixing it properly and garnishing the glass with a sprig of mint, she passed it to the customer. She then wiped the counter with a towel, never once looking at Sehun.

“Can I ask you another question?” Sehun said after half his glass was empty. 

“I just gave you the umbrella,” Jessica said, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Have you seen a white streak around? Maybe someone like…me? Except dressed in white? I wanted to find them, but I’m not sure what they want because they may or may not have broken into a police station and stole some high powered evidence,” Sehun asked.

“No,” Jessica said as she snatched Sehun’s umbrella away. 

Sehun pouted, but it unfortunately had no effect. If anything, it only seemed to make her glare harder. 

“If you hear anything, let me know,” Sehun said at last, “I need to find this person.” 

“No,” Jessica said as she passed a customer a large tankard of beer, “That sounds like your problem. Not mine.” 

“Oh. Okay,” Sehun said. He was surprised Jessica had allowed him to stay here this long and decided to leave now before she could stab him or turn him into a large ice cube. 

“Anyways,” Sehun said as he stood up from the stool, “I’m glad to see you have a job and you’re doing well…I hope? That’s really good. I’m sure Soo—”

Before he had any time to finish, Jessica cut him off. 

“Don’t come here again,” she said before snatching the towel off of the counter and turning her back to Sehun. Sehun stared at her brown hair and felt his throat close.

“Okay,” Sehun softly said, tossing a tip onto the table as he stood up, “Take care of yourself, Jess.”

He missed the way she was forced to stare at the lights above to force the blurriness in her eyes to pass.

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

The day after that, Sehun traded a police station and a seedy bar for his office. He would have liked to spend a little more time to himself to think about what he wanted, but Joohyun had sent him a text today asking him where he was, so that was the end of his brief vacation. 

With Soojung’s piece written, Sehun could focus on other articles that were easier to write. And focus on other lingering issues he still had to consider. 

Like the mayor’s Flash ceremony. 

That was also today, but Sehun was torn between attending and staying here. He didn’t know why he, of all people, should be honored, but he could use the ceremony for his own purposes. If they expected him to make a speech, then in front of the whole city, he could apologize for not doing better. And to announce his retirement from the Flash…if he could actually bring himself to do so. 

The ceremony was to be held in five minutes, and Sehun supposed he would know what to say when he was forced to speak in front of everyone. Or not. But either way, he would miss his chance to say anything at all if he didn’t attend. So with a sigh, he stood up, prepared to change into his suit, and opened the door, finding himself face to face with Joohyun. 

“Oh, good,” Joohyun said, “I’m glad you remembered the meeting. I was just about to remind you.” 

“What…meeting?” Sehun asked. 

“The meeting?” Joohyun said, ”The one in five minutes?” 

Sehun tried to sort through everything he had to remember and everything he didn’t want to remember, and with a gasp, he realized there was in fact a staff meeting today in five minutes. 

“Oh, _no_ ,” Sehun said, pressing his cheeks with his hands, “I was going to go to the Flash ceremony…that’s also in five minutes.” 

Joohyun covered her eyes and slowly breathed for a good ten seconds before she straightened up and grasped Sehun’s arm. 

“Okay. Here’s the plan,” Joohyun said, “Go to the ceremony. I’ll cover for you and see how much time I can buy before Qian loses it.”

“She’s going to lose it,” Sehun sighed, running a hand through his hair, “No one is allowed to skip meetings.” 

“But it looks like you are, Flash,” Joohyun said, pushing him through the hallway, “Now go!” 

“Thanks, Joohyun,” Sehun said before he ran into the stairwell, hurriedly changed, and zoomed towards the ceremony. 

When he reached City Hall, he froze after he saw how it had been decorated. Red streamers decorated with lightning bolts hung from the outside of the building, but what really made him hold his breath was a large picture of himself as the Flash, blown up and placed between the streamers. He recognized the suit, the lightning, but he didn’t recognize himself. Not like that. 

A crowd of people clad in red and yellow gathered on both sides of the stairs that led to the entrance of City Hall. As Sehun slowly walked up the stairs, the people pressed forwards, screaming at him. 

 _Flash! I love you!_

_I’m you’re biggest fan!_

_Thank you for saving us!_

_You’re the best!_  

Sehun politely nodded at the people he accidentally made eye contact with and smiled at the children who were hoisted into the air by their parents. 

“Thank you for coming!” he said as he passed by everyone, grateful for the support he didn’t think he deserved. 

At the top of the stairs, he turned around and waved one last time before hearing the mayor shout his name. 

“Flash!” the mayor cried out, rushing towards him with his arms thrown out, “I’m so glad you came!” 

Unlike the previous times they had met, the mayor squeezed him tightly instead of shaking his hand. Sehun hesitantly hugged him back before the mayor released him and looked at him with his eyes bright and his smile wide. Beside him, Junmyeon stood with the same stretched smile and stepped forwards to greet him. 

“Good to see you, Flash,” Junmyeon greeted him, offering his hand out. 

Sehun shook Junmyeon’s smile and nodded. 

“Everyone,” the mayor bellowed into the mic, “The Flash!” 

The crowd erupted into cheers in response. But for what? 

“Our guest needs no further introduction,” the mayor said. Apparently they were starting the ceremony now without any warning. “His actions, his bravery, and his heart speak for themselves.” 

The crowd continued to cheer loudly, so loud that they almost overpowered the mayor’s voice. Mayor Kim waited until they quieted before he continued. 

“Everyone knows what he’s done, and his name is the only credential he needs. The Flash,” the mayor said, pausing to chuckle, “Say that name to anyone, and they can tell you of the time he saved people from an apartment fire, hostages from an armed robbery, my son and me from Captain Cold. Is there anything he can’t do?”

 _Yes. Everything._ Sehun thought. 

 _No! Nothing!_ The crowd screamed in response. 

“So it is today that we honor him,” the mayor continued to bellow into the mic, riling the crowd up with every word, “Today we honor the Flash for everything he has done for us. With all our hearts, we thank you for your dedication, your bravery, and your service to Central City." 

Sehun shifted, managing a smile for the crowd, but looked away as the mayor continued to shout praise after praise to the Flash. Below him, he found a cluster of reporters, photographers, and cameras watching him solemnly, not cheering, not smiling. 

The mayor suddenly passed Sehun the mic out of nowhere, and Sehun clutched it while looking at him with wide eyes. 

 _Me?_ Sehun mouthed, wishing he had been paying attention. The mayor nodded and gestured for him to give his speech. 

Now?

Sehun had been caught unawares, and as he stared into the crowd, he mentally fumbled for the words to say in silence. The crowd quieted down in anticipation of Sehun’s speech, and the only thing Sehun could hear now was the breath he took. Great. 

Junmyeon encouraged him with a slap to his shoulder, but that only made Sehun more flustered. Eventually, he took his eyes away from the crowd that waved banners with his name and gazed at the horizon. He watched a few clouds drift across the sky before he spoke. 

“Thank you,” Sehun said, “for believing in me. I’m trying my best, but I’m just here to help this city and people who I believe in.” 

He thought that was enough and held the mic out to the mayor, who only gestured for him to continue speaking. Fuck.

“I don’t know if I’ll be around here forever,” Sehun slowly said. He didn’t have the heart to tell all these people who somehow believed in him that he wanted to quit. “But for however long I can, I will continue to try my best to help everyone who needs help. I know I'm known for crime prevention, but even if you need someone to listen to…or even a friend…” 

He trailed off, wondering if those were the wrong words. But he had already said them, so he finished what he started. 

“I’m here,” Sehun said, “I’m here for you. Please remember that. Thank you.” 

The crowd erupted into loud cheers, and Sehun thrust the mic back into the mayor’s hand, hoping that was enough. The mayor took the mic with one hand and grabbed Sehun's hand with his other. He gripped Sehun's hand tightly and posed for pictures. Sehun struggled not to blink after staring into a sea of blinding lights. 

“Godspeed, son,” the mayor said after he unfroze, patting his shoulder, “You make me proud.” 

“Congratulations, Flash,” Junmyeon smiled, stretching the end of his lips higher, “thanks for helping this city.”           

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Sehun waved his hand, “I do what I can.” 

“You’re too humble,” Junmyeon laughed, “with power like that, you should brag more. Be bolder.” 

Sehun excused himself, wondering how furious Qian must be now. He checked the time, found thirty minutes had passed, and considered the possibility that he might not even have a job to come back to after this. But it was difficult to wade through all the reporters who had gathered around them, shoving mics into Sehun’s’ face and asking him questions. Eventually, they all sounded like the same question. 

 _Who are you?_

_Who are you?_

_Who are you?_  

Sehun declined to comment, unable to say what he really wanted to say.

Not the person they thought. Not the hero they wanted. Not the Flash they believed in. 

Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped to take a few pictures with some children, signed a few autographs, thanked everyone for coming again, and prepared to escape as quickly as possible. If he sprinted, he could be back at work in half a second. But just as he was about to leave, he saw a white streak blur across the street. Sehun froze for a second, wondered if he had been imagining things again before he took off and chased it. 

The streak had to be more than a trick of his mind, more than ghost, more than something that haunted him. If he was the impossible, then this was possible, too. Up ahead, Sehun saw the streak ahead of him, and he dug his heels into the ground and pumped his arms as he caught up to the blur. For a few moments, they ran like this, the blur leading, Sehun following as they blew past streets and tore past buildings, sending a blast of wind and lightning crackling through the air. If he had stopped to listen to the people who had watched him run, he would’ve heard them shout out all their admiration, all their praise, all their love.

“Oh my god it’s the Flash!” 

“He’s my favorite…Superman has nothing on him.” 

“I’m proud of him. I hope he knows that.” 

But he never heard any of that and continued to follow the blur, trying to guess where they were headed. When they turned, Sehun turned. When they ran straight, Sehun sped up and ran beside them. And as they continued to run together, Sehun felt lighter than he had ever felt in a long time. 

Because the blur was real. 

The streak was a real person.

Someone who understood what running this fast felt like. Did they smile when they felt the wind on their face and the lightning crackle behind him, too? But this person’s lightning wasn’t yellow like Sehun’s. Instead, it was white, slightly tinged with a hint of blue. 

Sehun was about to shout across the wind and hope that whoever it was would listen and slow down. But before he could even say hello, something suddenly barreled into his side. The force of that blow was strong enough to send Sehun tumbling down, skidding into an alleyway. He sharply exhaled as he suffered through the pain and turned his head to see a pair of white legs walk towards him. 

"Hey," Sehun said, blinking blurry stars out of his eyes, "It's nice to meet you, I—" 

Hands grabbed him by the collar, and a fist swung towards his face. Sehun phased out of the person’s grip just in time and rolled towards his right to avoid a kick. People like Jessica probably said hello with a punch across the face at minimum, so this…could be the white streak’s way of saying hello? But no, this wasn’t a streak. This was a person…a speedster just like him. 

Sehun finally realized the slight danger he had found himself in after the speedster wouldn’t stop hurtling blow after blow, punch after punch, kick after kick at him. Sehun easily dodged the punches and refused to fight back. 

"Wait! I don't want to fight you!" Sehun cried out as he ducked to avoid another punch. The speedster finally stopped, standing in front of Sehun and continuing to blur their whole body to avoid being seen. 

“I just want to talk,” Sehun said, raising his hands out, “I wanted to know if—” 

Then the speedster smashed their fist across Sehun’s jaw, causing Sehun to stumble back and gingerly touch his face. 

"Okay that fucking hurt," Sehun said before returning what he had been dealt and punching the person back. The speedster reeled on the floor, grabbing at their jaw, causing Sehun to worry if he had hit too hard. 

"Listen," Sehun said, using this opportunity to talk, "I just—" 

"I know who you are," rasped a voice that was distorted and disguised by some mechanism on his suit. The speedster finally revealed themselves, ceasing their stationary phasing to show Sehun what they looked like. 

Sehun didn’t have the time to tell this person that technically everyone should be aware of who he was because the news never leaved him alone and because he had a giant lightning bolt across his chest.

Because he was too busy laughing, leaning on his knees as he bent over with his shoulders shaking after he took a glimpse of the speedster’s costume. 

"What?" the speedster hissed, "What's so funny?" 

Sehun shook his head, raising a hand as he stood up and took a closer look at the costume. 

"Oh, nothing," Sehun said, biting his lip as he forced another laugh away. "You just look like a condom." 

The speedster looked exactly like how Sehun had looked when he had worn the first prototype of his suit. There was that familiar skin tight spandex, the constricting hood, the white color that made him look as if he had shoved a condom on his head. Sehun was grateful that Baekhyun and Jongdae had changed the fabric, the color, and added their own embellishments to his final suit. Imagine if he was running through the streets looking like _this._

The speedster snarled and punched Sehun across the face again, sending him stumbling to the ground. Sehun wished he had stopped laughing long enough to have seen that coming, but at least he hadn’t been knocked out. 

"We'll meet again, Flash" the speedster said, pointing a single finger at him, "and when we do, I'll destroy you." 

It was Sehun's fault for not taking them seriously in this moment, but what was he supposed to do when they looked like that?

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

For the next few days, the only thing Sehun talked about was that speedster. 

“I _told_ you he was real,” Sehun would say over and over again. 

Tonight was no different, and as they ate dinner in front of the TV, he spoke over the program. 

“Where do you think they got their powers from?” Sehun asked, “Do you think there are others like me out there?” 

“There is no one else like you, Sehun,” Jongdae said, reaching forwards to lower the volume so he could hear Sehun better. 

“They could run exactly like me,” Sehun said, staring at the TV but failing to process anything he watched, “How long do you think they’ve had their powers? We need to find them.” 

“How did that go last time?” Baekhyun said, raising the volume three clicks up. 

Sehun sank into the couch. It wasn’t the best of first meetings, but they could get along better next time, right? 

“We should at least keep tabs on him,” Jongdae said, “Isn’t it suspicious how he appeared out of nowhere and no one’s seen him? Use your skills, Baekhyun.” 

Sehun waited for Baekhyun’s reaction, expecting a loud no, and hearing that same no. 

“No,” Baekhyun shook his head, raising the volume of the TV louder, “Absolutely not. He hasn’t done anything wrong. His biggest crime is just looking ugly and—“

“Breaking into the police station and stealing evidence,” Jongdae said. Sehun winced. He had forgotten about that, too. 

“Allegedly,” Baekhyun said. 

“But worst of all,” Jongdae said, lowering the volume of the TV to three clicks again so the program was all but mute, “They punched Sehun. So that’s enough. We should watch them and make sure they don’t try anything else.” 

“This isn’t a matter of life and death, so I don’t’ know why you’re still pushing _that_ ,” Baekhyun said, leaping to his feet, “I’m never doing that again.”

“Listen,” Jongdae gently said, gesturing for Baekhyun to come back and sit with them again, “Remember you’re not who you were. You won’t use your skills to harm others. Just to prevent possible attacks on the city. We don’t know what they’re capable of, so it'd be smart to keep an eye on them for a while.” 

“Is that what you think?” Baekhyun asked, raising his voice. He refused to sit down again and snatched up his jacket. “Are you kidding me? I hurt people when I was younger doing that… _hacking._ I can’t go back. Find a different way to track him if you’re so concerned about everything he does.”

With that, he rushed out of their apartment, escaping to his own across the hall. 

“Do you want some air?” Jongdae asked Sehun after the sounds of Baekhyun’s footsteps thudding across the hall faded into silence. 

“Okay,” Sehun said, standing as he turned the TV off. He helped Jongdae up before the two of them entered their balcony and climbed up the stairs to reach their rooftop. 

For a while, they stood shoulder to shoulder by the concrete railing, staring out at the city. It was a slightly cloudy night, a few sparse clouds crawling around the horizon. For a while, neither of them said anything. Silence with Jongdae felt natural, something they eased in rather than a space they had to fill. When neither of them had anything to say, none were pressured to continually think of something to add, a question to ask to start a conversation again. 

After enough time had passed, Jongdae spoke again. 

“You do know whoever is out there should not be trusted, right?” Jongdae asked. 

Sehun looked at him and only tilted his head. 

“Just because they run like you and they can keep up with you doesn’t mean that they should be trusted,” Jongdae said, “Remember what they did?” 

“Broke into the evidence room, stole stuff, and punched me,” Sehun mumbled, “Maybe they were just afraid I would bring them to the police for what he stole. That doesn't mean they're...bad.” 

Jongdae let out a laugh.

“You have so much faith in everyone,” Jongdae said, reaching up to play with the drawstrings of Sehun’s hoodie, “but not everyone else is as kind as you, has a heart as big as yours.”

“It doesn’t mean they have bad intentions,” Sehun shrugged, “maybe they’re just misguided.” 

“Don’t trust them,” Jongdae shook his head, “It’s easier that way. You won’t be hurt if you don’t get too close.” 

Jongdae sounded like how Baekhyun had sounded when he had first met Jongdae and Sehun in high school. It was easier for him to push them away, but harder for him to let them go after all the years that passed. 

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” Sehun admitted, “If they have bad intentions, then I’ll stop them. If they just need a little guidance, maybe I can help.” 

Big words coming from someone who needed some guidance of his own. 

“Then I should come with you while you’re patrolling,” Jongdae said, grasping Sehun’s hands, “Yes. I’ll come with you.” 

“For what?” Sehun asked, raising his eyebrows. He held Jongdae’s hands tighter, but he couldn’t imagine why Jongdae would want to follow him anywhere he went. Hadn’t he learned from Soojung? 

“So I can watch your back while you watch the city’s back,” Jongdae said, beginning to speak faster and louder, “Come _on…_ I came with you when you stopped Captain Cold from attacking the mayor, remember? I’ll point the gun at those who point their own guns at you.” 

“You don’t have a gun,” Sehun said, beginning to frown, “And you can’t keep up.” 

“I’ve kept up with you for all these years,” Jongdae said with a smile, “I think I can manage this. I’ll steal a police car or teach myself how to fly if I have to.” 

Then he softened his voice and slipped his hands around Sehun’s waist to pull him closer. 

“I know patrolling must be hard alone, but I’ll be there with you now,” Jongdae nodded. 

Sehun hesitated, distracted by their close proximity and the way Jongdae was staring at him. As he cleared his throat, he felt his cheeks flush. 

“But what if you die when I’m not there to save you?” Sehun asked, “What if something goes wrong? What if I’m not fast enough to save you like I wasn’t fast enough to…” 

He left the rest of his words unsaid. 

“We are stronger together, better together,” Jongdae said, tip toeing to kiss Sehun, “and there is nothing that we both can’t do if we stand together.” 

“What if you die?” Sehun whispered. Jongdae leaned closer to listen to him. 

“I won’t,” Jongdae said, lowering his voice to match Sehun’s, “I promise. But the only way I’d be fine with going out is dying in your place.” 

“ _No_ ,” Sehun shook his head, pushing away images of himself holding Jongdae’s limp body, “Please…Just stay safe.” 

“I watched your heart stop over and over again, and I lost you for nine months,” Jongdae said, his voice slightly cracking, “and I will never let that happen again. I can’t go through that again, Sehun. I can’t lose you again.” 

Sehun didn’t know what caused Jongdae to suddenly ask if he could accompany him while he patrolled, but he didn’t have time to discuss this further because out of nowhere, dark clouds swarmed on the horizon, killing the moon and smothering out the stars. Though the night was clear only seconds ago, rain started pouring from the sky, immediately soaking Jongdae and Sehun. 

“What?” Sehun said as he threw his hood over his head and they raced down the stairs back to their apartment, “Where did that come from?” 

Once inside, they panted as they stared out the window, wondering where all the sudden fog, the stormy clouds, and the pouring rain had come from. 

“I’ve only seen this once before,” Jongdae said as he wiped his dripping bangs away from his eyes, “Last year.” 

“When? Where?” Sehun asked. This type of rain was too familiar for all the wrong reasons, and though they were inside, though Jongdae was here with him, and though there was no glass ceiling above their heads, Sehun's heart began to race. 

Before Jongdae could explain, their front door slammed open, and Baekhyun rushed in. 

“Weather Wizard?” he shouted, scrambling to reach them. 

“You think it’s him, too?” Jongdae grimly said, “Only his weather rod could make weather change this quickly. And this drastically."

“But he’s in prison. Sehun caught him earlier this year,” Baekhyun said, shaking his head as he stared out the window. 

“It’s the white speedster,” Sehun slowly said. The longer he stared at the rain, the harder it was to breathe. “He stole Weather Wizard’s weather wand when he broke in. Remember?” 

Baekhyun sank to his knees, staring at the ground, shaking his head. He pulled out his phone, and his thumbs rapidly moved across the keyboard. 

“The source of the abrupt change in atmospheric pressure is the private airport twenty-five minutes from here,” Baekhyun said after a moment, “He’s probably there.” 

“I guess I’ll figure out what he wants,” Sehun said. If the speedster needed help, then Sehun would help them. If they came to hurt, then Sehun would stop them. Before either Jongdae or Baekhyun could say anything, he disappeared and reappeared in his Flash suit. 

“I’m coming with you,” Jongdae said once he saw him, grabbing a dry jacket off the couch. 

Sehun glanced at the rain outside one more time, remembered a night he'd prefer to forget, and shook his head. 

“Stay. Please,” Sehun said, pressing a kiss to Jongdae’s cheek.

There was nothing Jongdae could do or say to change his mind now. Maybe Jongdae could join him later while he patrolled under sunny skies, but for now, with this weather, there was nothing Sehun wanted more than Jongdae inside and safe. He didn't say good-bye because he knew he'd return, but he stole a kiss from Jongdae and hugged Baekhyun before he left. 

But Sehun had only taken a few steps outside in the rain when he heard Jongdae’s voice crackling in his comms. 

“I’ll drive and meet you there in twenty minutes,” he said, "Don't worry about me." 

Sehun gave himself one second to worry before he continued to tear through the streets, struggling to see anything at all through the fog and the rain. It was useless to waste his breath arguing with Jongdae now. Once Jongdae decided he would do something, it was nearly impossible to stop him. 

“This my fault,” Baekhyun softly said just before Sehun was about to ask for directions, “if I had listened to you…if I was strong enough to track the speedster down, then this wouldn’t have happened.” 

“It’s fine, Baekhyun,” Sehun, forced to slow down after being unable to see anything in the heavy rain. If he weren’t careful, he’d slip into the large puddles of water that had begun to form around the streets. “No one can demand anything from you that you don’t want to do.” 

“I still can’t,” Baekhyun said, his voice shaking, “God…I still can’t. I’m so sorry, Sehun…I promised myself I’d never do anything like that again.”

“You’ve helped me all this time without having to hack through any software or code,” Sehun shouted, narrowly missing a taxi, “So we’ll be fine. Help me like you always help me. I can’t see through this rain, so I don’t know where I’m going.” 

An oncoming car suddenly charged towards him, screeching out a loud honk, and Sehun phased himself through the vehicle to avoid being struck.

“Okay,” Baekhyun said after a lengthy exhale, “Listen closely. Turn right when I say right. Left when I say left. If it’s hard to see anything, just trust me and follow regardless.”

“I trust you,” Sehun shouted, wiping the rain from his eyes, “Take me there now.”

“Right,” Baekhyun said three seconds later.

Sehun turned, stumbling on the edge of the pavement.

“Right again,” Baekhyun said.

Sehun swiveled on command and turned right once more.

Baekhyun continued to navigate Sehun until he was past a residential area, past downtown, and approaching the private airport. The rain thinned as he ran closer and closer to the location.

“I’m here,” Sehun said, skidding to a stop after seeing a figure in the distance.

The eye of the storm was supposed to be the most turbulent, but as Sehun drew closer to the figure, the rain thinned. Sehun lowered his hand from his face after feeling light sprinkling.

“I’m fifteen minutes away,” Jongdae said, “Hold on.” 

Sehun cautiously approached, taking the time to walk forwards as he assessed the situation. The speedster stood in the center of the landing strip, raising the rod at the sky. Every time thye flicked it, new clouds appeared. Sehun watched for a minute, relaxing after the speedster only continued to create more clouds. See? Harmless.

“Hey,” Sehun said as he approached, “What are you doing?”

The speedster twisted their neck at the sound of Sehun's voice and froze after noticing Sehun. But he didn’t leap towards Sehun with his fists raised, didn’t even acknowledge him for a moment, so Sehun thought they were starting this meeting well. Better than last time at least. 

“Hello, Flash,” the speedster said at last, his voice still distorted.

“So…that doesn’t belong to you,” Sehun said, pointing at the rod as he took another step closer. 

“Oh this? I’m borrowing it,” the speedster said, continuing to point it to the sky, “just for a test." 

“What’s the test?” Sehun asked. Above them, dark clouds churned around, the sky looking almost like the sea's waves during a tempestuous night. 

“I’m thinking…What powers best fits a man like me? A god like me? Speed or weather?” the speedster said, “Weather is an obvious option. Who wouldn’t love to control the heavens with a single flick of their wrist?”

He jerked his arm, sending a bolt of lightning into the sky with a loud rumble. Sehun started, throwing his hands over his head at the deafening sound. 

“Afraid, Flash?” the speedster laughed.

“Speed,” Sehun said a little softer, struggling to keep his voice level as he slowly lifted his hands away from his head, “What about speed? How did you get your powers?”

“Speed,” the speedster said instead, “why…it seems like nothing, just an insignificant power compared to so many others that exist, but what you’ve managed to do with it? Bring a whole city to its knees as everyone worships you? I won’t lie. That's incredible.”

“That’s…not what my speed does,” Sehun said, a slight frown appearing on his face, “not at all.”

“This rod is so inefficient,” the speedster said as if he hadn't heard Sehun, twirling it around and sending another bolt of lightning in the air. Sehun shielded his head again, earning another laugh from the man. “If I lose it, then that’s the end of my powers.”

“Then use your speed and give that back,” Sehun said. He thought reminding the speedster that the rod technically wasn't his seemed unwise in the moment. “Your speed is inherent, a part of you. You don’t need a rod.”

“Yes…” the speedster said, “But why would I give this up, too, when I can do this?”

He swiped his hand in the air, and a thunderbolt tore apart the sky and illuminated the space above them in a second. Sehun squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

“You’re really afraid of this thing, aren’t you?” the speedster said. 

“Just…put that down. People might die in this weather,” Sehun said, opening his eyes again. He ignored the pounding of his heart as best as he could and stretched out his hand, hoping the speedster would listen.

“Dude. You really think he’ll just give it to you?” Baekhyun’s voice crackled from the comms.

Sehun ignored him and continued holding out his hand. It was worth a try. He dropped his hand to his side after the speedster only laughed and shook his head. 

“I’ve watched you save people countless times, but I must admit. I want to see you fail in person,” the speedster said before hurtling another lightning bolt in the air, “They'll die in front of your eyes, Flash!" 

Sehun held his breath as he traced the lightning bolt’s path. After looking across the horizon, he pressed a hand over his mouth after realizing what the speedster had intended to strike.

“There’s a plane,” Sehun shouted, racing towards it. He heard the speedster laugh behind him and braced himself as he dove headfirst into the rain once again.

“What?” Baekhyun said.

“A plane,” Sehun said, shivering as the wind blew against him. He kept his eyes on the plane that was slowly descending towards the landing strip. Luckily, it wasn't a big, commercial plane, but only a smaller, private jet. Unluckily, there were still people inside that Sehun needed to protect. “He attacked a plane with the rod, and—“

He stopped in his tracks and gasped as he watched the lightning bolt tear through the plane. Fortunately, the plane hadn't exploded on impact, but one of its wings had been damaged. As smoke began to billow in the air, twisting in the fog, the plane tilted on one side, straying from its path. 

“It’s going down,” Sehun shouted, sprinting to the rooftop of a nearby building to take a closer look. The impact caused the plane to plummet rapidly, and if it continued to fly this low, they’d crash into the building near the one Sehun stood on. He couldn’t whisk the passengers out of the plane because he couldn’t fly, and he couldn’t slow the plane down by sending whirlwinds towards it in this weather. So what else was there to do?

“Do you think I can phase a plane through the building?” Sehun after some thought. This seemed like the best option. The only option.

“I don’t see why not,” Baekhyun said, “Theoretically.”

“You can always do the impossible, so I believe you can,” Jongdae said.

It wasn’t like Sehun had any time to worry about what was possible or impossible. He was going to jump on that plane, phase it through the building, pray he didn’t fall off in the process, and that was that. There was no time for doubt, for any what if's, for failure. Smoke continued to stream out from the plane's side, and Sehun forced himself to forget there was a chance he could miss the plane entirely and fall at least two hundred meters below after he jumped.

“I’m ten minutes away. Hold on,” Jongdae said into the comms. Sehun gave himself one second to worry if Jongdae’s car might crash while he was rushing here. Or what if another car hit him? Or what if—

“You have one shot at this, Sehun,” Baekhyun reminded him, “Either you jump on that plane, you phase it through the building, or…you know.”

Sehun grimly nodded even though Baekhyun couldn’t see him. As he watched fire leak from the plane's side, Sehun bounced on his toes, preparing to jump.

“I can do this, I can do this…I can do this,” he muttered to himself.

“Yes you can,” Baekhyun said.

“Of course you can,” Jongdae said.

As the plane flew closer and closer, Sehun could see the wide-eyed pilot scrambling to turn the plane away from the building. But with the wings damaged, all he could do was rock the plane back and forth.

Sehun shivered in the rain as he backed up to give himself space and took one last, deep breath before sprinting towards the edge of the roof. He would have hesitated if he thought about how far he would have to jump, so he didn’t. He didn’t think for once and instinctively jumped off the edge, screaming as he landed on the plane. He slid down the body of the plane, narrowly avoiding the fires beside him before he managed to grab hold of the tail. Baekhyun must have implemented some gripping technology in his gloves, as Sehun hadn't yet fallen off.  

He could do this.

Phase a plane? Yeah. He totally could?

Through a building?

Yeah…Yeah. He’d have to.

This was doable. He could do it.

Sehun fought to contain his panic when he tried to phase the plane and only phased himself, sinking into the plane instead. The building approached closer and closer without any sign of success, and Sehun felt his heart stutter in his chest when he was the only one that was phasing. With a scream, he shut his eyes at the last minute before the plane hit the building, expecting an explosion, expecting to be thrown unconscious in the blast. But when he opened one eye a second later, he found both him and the plane phasing straight through the building.

Sehun opened his other eye when they flew through the other side, still screaming at the top of his lungs. This was what the city should see every time they called him a hero.

The plane now had a clear path to the landing strip without any buildings blocking its way, so now Sehun could focus on not falling off the plane and to his death.

“I’m here,” Jongdae announced on the comms, “Where are you?”

“I’m in the fucking air,” Sehun shouted as he clung onto the plane as best as he could. The plane rocked back and forth, the pilot struggling to keep its course straight. He prayed they would safely make it to the landing strip, or at least the ground, and yelled as the plane suddenly plummeted a few feet.

“I’m coming for you,” Jongdae said, “I’ll catch you if you fall.”

Jongdae obviously meant that metaphorically because there was no sign of him anywhere on the ground. Good. If the plane blew up, then at least he’d be far away from this.

As the plane continued to descend, Sehun saw the white speedster standing below them, hand raised above his forehead to watch. It seemed like they were at a safer altitude, so Sehun let go of the plane and let out another scream. Once he hit the ground, he rolled around for a few moments to slow his momentum and break his fall. He realized he had miscalculated that jump after feeling sharp pains shoot through his body. But it was nothing an hour of healing couldn’t fix.

The white speedster was fifty meters away, his back turned to Sehun as he watched the plane attempt to land.

“Can you like.. _Stop_ ,” Sehun shouted from where he lay on the floor. In the distance, the plane had landed safely. 

The speedster let out a loud scream after he saw all the passengers and the pilot flee from the plane, running to safety. Sehun let out a sigh instead, relieved there hadn't been any casualties. It had made jumping off a rooftop in the pouring rain worth it.

“ _You_ ,” the speedster snarled, stalking towards Sehun, “This is your _fault_.”

“You wanted that plane to go down?” Sehun asked, pushing himself up on weak arms. He could only sit up for now, and he didn’t try to stand yet.

“I wanted to see you fail. And you ruined my experiment,” the speedster loudly said, emphatically swiping his hand through the air.

“So which one is it?” Sehun asked, attempting to stand but giving up for now after his shaky legs woldn't cooperate, “Speed or weather?”

“Speed. Of course. So I can run faster than you and prove to everyone that I am better than you,” the speedster shouted before he raised the rod in the air again, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with a little storm.”                                                       

“I see you,” Jongdae shouted, “Stay there. I’m coming.”

With his pulse accelerating in his tightening chest, Sehun looked around, praying Jongdae wasn’t close. He couldn’t see Jongdae anywhere, so he continued to breathe. Another scream from the white speedster drove Sehun’s attention back to the current problem.

“I’ll destroy you, Flash,” the speedster yelled, “I promised you I would.”

With that, he lunged forwards and stabbed the air with the rod, hurtling bolts of lightning at Sehun one after the other. Sehun finally rose to his feet and raised a hand in the air, squinting to see the blinding lights that sped towards him. It was a miracle that none of the bolts had hit him yet. But if he survived lightning once, he’d survive again. And after all, wasn't lightning unable to strike the same place twice? The same person twice? 

The barrage of lightning bolts rendered Sehun unable to do anything but stand there and pray none of them would hit him. He couldn’t see anything at all, not the figure running towards them across the area, not the twisted grin on the speedster’s face, not the bolt of lightning hurtling towards his direction. All he saw was flashes of white ripping up the darkness, and all he heard was the sound of thunder cracking around him over and over again. Finding it harder to breathe, Sehun dropped down and clutched his head, suddenly remembering that night months ago. The lightning. The glass ceiling. The shattered glass ceiling. The strike that he never saw coming.

He had closed his eyes, gasping for breath, so he didn’t see the speedster summon a large lightning bolt from the rod, didn’t see it shoot straight towards his chest, and absolutely didn’t see Jongdae push him out of the way just in time.

Sehun skidded on the floor, stunned by the sudden impact, and when he opened his eyes wide, he watched with a scream tearing out of his throat as Jongdae took the hit for him, took the lightning bolt chest first. Heart first. Because Jongdae was not fast enough to save both of them in time.

Because Jongdae would rather die than lose Sehun again.

 


	4. Chapter 4

There were many times when Sehun felt like time had stopped. 

He purposely made the seconds seem slower in the morning so the last moment before Jongdae had to leave, the last moment they kissed goodbye, could feel like an eternity. He inadvertently felt like his work meetings lasted forever, and he was trapped as the seconds ticked by, staring at the clock that taunted him with how sluggishly it ticked. 

But here? 

Now? 

Now as he watched Jongdae absorb the impact of the thunderbolt, the second it took for Jongdae’s body to fall and crumple to the floor was the longest second of his life. Time was dead to Sehun when he ran to Jongdae’s side, stopped in this moment as he stared at the motionless body before him. 

Sehun hovered his hands over Jongdae, not sure how to act because he was feeling too much to think. Jongdae was so still, so motionless, and if Sehun had the heart to try, he would have pretended Jongdae was sleeping. Just sleeping. Just. Sleeping. 

But he couldn’t pretend when Jongdae’s shirt was singed, exposing the burnt skin of his chest. Sehun didn’t care who saw him right now and ripped off his cowl, not sure what else to do. With trembling fingers, he picked up Jongdae’s hand and felt for a pulse. 

Nothing. 

Sehun almost dropped Jongdae’s hand in shock before trying again, pressing fingers to Jongdae’s neck to feel for his pulse. 

Nothing. 

Sehun struggled to breathe, his chest feeling too tight, his heart beating so fast that he thought he would die right now. After several seconds of taking rapid, panicked breaths, Sehun screamed. 

Sehun screamed Jongdae’s name, and when he was finished tearing into the last syllable, he twisted Jongdae’s name into a strangled sound. Sehun didn’t know when the scream turned into a cry, but there he was, heaving shoulders, blurry eyes, and all. He didn't notice that the speedster was long gone, and he was deaf to every message Baekhyun tried to send over the comms. It was only after Baekhyun shouted loudly that Sehun finally heard him and pulled his cowl back over his head to listen. 

“ _Sehun_ ,” Baekhyun shouted again, “What happened? What’s wrong? Why can’t I reach Jongdae?” 

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said, his voice trembling, barely a whisper, “What do I do? Jongdae he…he was struck by the lightning that other speedster conjured.”

There was a terrible moment of silence that made Sehun lower his head into his hands, struggling to breathe. It sounded worse when he said it out loud. 

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said, his voice softer, “Listen to me. You’re faster than any ambulance, so take him and go to the hospital. Now.” 

Sehun nodded, not that Baekhyun would be there to see it, and held his breath as he gently picked Jongdae up. He hated how small, how limp, how lifeless Jongdae seemed in his arms, and Sehun had to tear his eyes away and stare into the distance when he took off for the nearest hospital. 

Half a second later, Sehun burst through the front doors of a hospital, chest heaving, sending everyone frozen at his abrupt appearance. For once, he was grateful for his Flash suit. Without it, he as sure everyone could see all the tears, all the twisted expressions and barely contained grief carved into his expression. 

“ _Help_ ,” he screamed, sending the nurses and doctors scrambling towards him. 

“What happened to him?” a nurse asked as two others grabbed a stretcher and helped Sehun lower Jongdae onto it. 

“He was struck by lightning,” Sehun said, keeping a hand on the stretcher’s metal railing as the nurses pushed Jongdae deeper into the hospital. 

“Another one?” a nurse said, exchanging glances with the nurse next to her, “that’s the second one this year. What are the odds of that?” 

“Can you please… _please_ save him?” Sehun said. 

“We’ll do our best,” the nurse said as they rounded a corner, “do you know him?” 

“I…no,” Sehun lied, “he got in the way while I was trying to stop the storm.” 

“You can’t stop a storm, Flash,” another nurse said, signaling for another nurse to push open the door they were approaching, “once it comes, it comes. Once it rains, it pours.” 

Once it thundered, everything was done. 

Sehun attempted to follow them into a room before the nurse pushed him out. 

“Sorry, Flash. Authorized medical personnel only from here on,” she said. 

Sehun was about to protest, but he found himself unable to do anything but stare when he saw Jongdae’s body being wheeled away through the window of the door. 

“We’ll take it from here. You’ve done enough,” the nurse said before hurrying through the doors. 

That was funny. Sehun didn’t think he had done enough, had done anything at all. If Baekhyun had designed his suit with pockets, he would’ve jammed his hands through them and walked with his shoulders slumped and his head down. But for now, he only kept his gaze down and walked out of the hospital, ignoring the cries and requests for photographs and autographs. 

_Flash!_

_Look here!_

_Flash?_

_Oh my god my hero!_  

Sehun was not a hero. 

Never was.

Never would be. 

Especially after he had failed to save the most important person in the world. He was fast, but what was the point if he couldn’t save Jongdae? He was fast, but what was the point if he couldn’t see lightning coming? He was fast, but not fast enough.

Sehun raced home in tears, having to phase through a car at the last minute to avoid being run over. He crashed into Baekhyun’s apartment and found Baekhyun wordlessly staring at his computer screen. Sehun sniffled, causing Baekhyun to turn his head at the noise, and ran forwards to bury his face in Baekhyun’s chest and clutch at his arms as he broke down. 

“Not now,” Baekhyun said in a soothing tone, rubbing Sehun’s back. 

“What?” Sehun asked, looking up at Baekhyun. Baekhyun was eerily calm, but Sehun could still see cracks, wrinkles forming on his face. It took much strength for Baekhyun to not lose it right here, strength Sehun didn’t have. 

“Get changed,” Baekhyun said, squeezing Sehun’s shoulder, “If the same thing that happened to you happens to Jongdae, the doctors will be calling us in seconds to tell us that Jongdae’s gone into cardiac arrest. And if Jongdae’s heart flatlines, they’ll want to pronounce him dead.” 

“No,” Sehun said, eyes widening, his head shaking as he pulled himself up, “ _No_. Not Jongdae.” 

“Let’s go,” Baekhyun said, his expression dark, weary. 

Sehun changed in half a second, and in another half, whisked Baekhyun behind some bushes in front of the hospital. Baekhyun didn’t waste any time readjusting to the change in surroundings and stumbled forwards into the hospital. 

“We are here to see Kim Jongdae,” Baekhyun said, pressing his hands on the counter of the front desk inside. Sehun bounced on his toes, gaze darting around the waiting room. He needed to go, needed to run to Jongdae, but he didn’t know where he had been taken. 

“I’m sorry. We don’t have a patient by that name on record,” the receptionist said after looking up from her screen, “Are you sure it was this hospital?” 

“Yes,” Sehun said, fighting to keep his voice level, “He was brought here only seconds go. He’s the patient struck by lightning.” 

“Oh I see,” the receptionist said, “he was taken in too early, so his data hasn’t been recorded on our systems yet.” 

“Where is he now?” Baekhyun asked. 

“He’s still in intensive care. We’ll call you when you can see him,” the receptionist said. 

“So that’s it? All we do is wait?” Sehun said. 

“Yes. By those chairs please,” the receptionist said, gesturing to the space to her left. 

Sehun waited by the chairs. Unlike Baekhyun who sat on the chair, he paced around, almost bumping into medical staff a couple of times before Baekhyun called him over and made him sit next to him. That wasn’t any easier, and Sehun sat, bouncing his leg and tapping his foot as he waited. Baekhyun placed a hand on Sehun’s leg to make him stop, but it was difficult for him to slow down and not make his leg look like a blur. 

Unlike Baekhyun who sat still, Sehun paced around, almost bumping into a few medical staff and other patients waiting for treatment. Baekhyun called him over and made him sit next to him after he almost collided with a stretcher. So Sehun sat. So Sehun waited, bouncing his leg for a minute restlessly. Baekhyun placed a hand on Sehun’s leg to make him stop and whispered in his ear to _watch himself_ before Sehun looked down and found his leg almost a blur. 

Neither of them spoke to each other. Sehun snuck glances at Baekhyun every now and then, wondering how he could be so calm. While Sehun’s hair was disheveled from all the times he ran his fingers through it or pulled at it, Baekhyun sat still, eyes forward, clenched fists dropped at his lap.

What seemed like days and days later, a doctor finally strode into the waiting room looking for the family of Kim Jongdae. Sehun and Baekhyun leapt up, and Sehun braced himself as they followed the doctor into the ICU. 

“Can I see Jongdae?” Sehun asked as they walked down those white halls illuminated by the blinding white lights above, “Is he okay? Can I talk to him?” 

“Come. Follow me,” the doctor only said as he turned a corner. Sehun bit back a shout, his desire to shake the doctor and demand him to say whether or not Jongdae was fine. 

Three seconds later, the doctor stopped outside of a hospital room. A single name was scrawled in messy handwriting and placed in the plaque next to the door.

 

_Kim Jongdae_

 

Sehun reached for the doorknob, only for the doctor to stop him. Sehun turned to give the doctor a look for such audacity before he noticed the way the doctor sighed and took off his glasses. 

“Before you come in,” the doctor said, “listen to me.” 

“Just…say what you need to say and let us go in,” Baekhyun said. 

“ _Please_ ,” Sehun said.

“It was a miracle he didn’t die onsite, but it seems the Flash brought him here just in time,” the doctor said, “but when we received him, he had already gone into cardiac arrest.” 

“But he’s okay,” Sehun said. Cardiac arrest? Jongdae could walk that off easily. Yeah. 

“We’ve brought his heart back, but his condition hasn’t stabilized,” the doctor said. 

“But he’s…okay,” Sehun repeated. He had to be. Jongdae had to be. 

“He’s in a coma right now,” the doctor said. 

Sehun finally fell silent. A coma. Just like his own. If he could walk that off…or run that off, then Jongdae could, too. 

“When will he wake up?” Baekhyun asked. 

“We don’t know,” the doctor admitted, “We had a case like this before, but the family of that patient took him home. He honestly might be dead since he kept going into cardiac arrest and his family refused professional hospice care.” 

Baekhyun and Sehun exchanged a look before Baekhyun spoke again. 

“I was there for that. You wanted to announce the patient dead when he wasn’t. Multiple times,” Baekhyun said. 

“That’s not our fault,” the doctor said, eyebrows furrowing, “his heart stopped for more than an hour. Multiple times. If he’s not dead, then he probably has brain damage.” 

“I don’t. I’m not,” Sehun said. The doctor widened his eyes, shoving his glasses back on his face. 

“That was you?” the doctor said, squinting at Sehun, “how could you and this other man you know both get struck by lightning? What are the chances of that?” 

“If I survived, then Jongdae will, too. If I woke up, then Jongdae will, too,” Sehun said. 

The doctor nodded, patted them on the shoulder, and walked away after explaining several more details about Jongdae’s treatment. 

Sehun held his breath as he opened the door, but he forgot to exhale and take another breath when they walked inside. The nurses had tucked Jongdae into the hospital bed sheets so only his body from the shoulders up was visible. But Sehun knew that Jongdae hated sleeping like that. He always said it made him feel suffocated, so Sehun gently pulled Jongdae’s arms out from the covers and placed them above the blankets. 

He thought he was brave enough to look at Jongdae’s face, but tears instantly pricked his eyes when he flicked his gaze upwards to find Jongdae so still. At least his chest was moving up and down. 

“Oh, Jongdae,” Sehun said, his voice wobbling. He reached out to push Jongdae’s bangs from his face. Something in the lightning must have altered Jongdae’s hair, as it had changed from black to light blond now. If his hair stayed like this forever, Jongdae would never have to bleach his hair again. 

Baekhyun had managed to be more composed than Sehun this whole time, but out of nowhere, he finally let out a loud sob and buried his face in his hands. He cried loudly, his body shaking from the force of his crying. Sehun rushed over on the other side of the room, hoping to comfort Baekhyun with a hug. But that triggered his own tears, and for a while, they only held each other as they stood, Jongdae beside them. 

“I can’t keep doing this,” Baekhyun finally said at last as he gasped for breath. He pushed himself out of Sehun’s embrace only to grab Sehun’s shoulders as he stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, his expression contorted. “First it was you, now it was Jongdae…I can’t live thinking that I might lose one of you to what…lightning?” 

“But we’re here,” Sehun said, pressing his hand against his mouth to suppress another cry, “I’m _here,_ Baekhyun. We’re here, and we won’t ever leave you. Jongdae will wake up. He will.” 

Baekhyun collapsed into the chair beside Jongdae’s bed and lowered his head into his hands. 

“He will,” Sehun said again, taking a seat on Jongdae’s other side. He picked up Jongdae’s hand, and Baekhyun reached out to hold the other. They were never alone. They never were. 

“What happened out there?” Baekhyun asked, pushing his tears away as he took a deep breath.

“That speedster hurtled a lightning bolt at me using Weather Wizard’s weather rod. Jongdae pushed me out of the way because I didn’t see it. It hit him,” Sehun said. 

Baekhyun rubbed his face. 

“ _You two_ ,” Baekhyun said, “are always doing the wildest things for each other. He really had to do the same thing you did for him all that time ago?” 

“We’d do it for you, too,” Sehun said. And he meant it. “But you always stay inside, away from all the lightning.” 

“You’re the ones putting yourself in harm’s way. Now look what happened,” Baekhyun shook his head. He tried to take another look at Jongdae before changing his mind and staring at the ground. 

“Jongdae spent his whole life chasing thunder,” Sehun said, “following lightning. When he wakes up, I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”

When. 

Baekhyun scoffed. 

“I’m going to yell at him so hard when he wakes up,” Baekhyun said, “you would’ve been able to take the hit since you regenerate so fast. I think. But him? Look at him.” 

But there was no bite to his words, and Baekhyun hid his face in his hands again. 

“He’s always been the bravest,” Sehun said, “That’s just who he is.” 

Baekhyun nodded and sighed. 

“After I was struck by lightning, I woke up with super speed,” Sehun said, rubbing the skin of Jongdae’s hand with his thumb, “does this mean Jongdae will wake up with powers, too?” 

But just as Baekhyun opened his mouth to answer, Jongdae’s heart rate monitor flatlined. There was no slow decline, no steep incline in pulse. Jongdae’s heart just. Stopped. As the system rapidly beeped in alarm, the lights of the hospital blacked out once, plunging them into darkness. 

Sehun screamed Jongdae’s name, shouting for the nurses and the doctors.

The lights flickered back on and the heart monitor turned back online, still showing that same flat, green line. Nurses and doctors ran inside, and Baekhyun had to hold Sehun back as Sehun screamed at them to do _something_. 

The doctor barked out orders, sending nurses scrambling around the room. One urged Sehun and Baekhyun to wait outside, but Sehun fought them, fought them to stay inside. The nurse reluctantly let them stay by the door. 

“The defibrillators!” the doctor said. Just as the nurses pulled the defibrillators out, the lights flickered out again, plunging the hospital in pitch dark. Sehun burst into tears and screamed. Now was not the time for power surges. Shouldn’t the hospital have backup generators in times like this? 

The lights flickered back on a few seconds later, the heart monitor still showing Jongdae flatlining. 

The nurses ripped open Jongdae’s hospital gown, exposing his chest. Sehun watched between his fingers as the doctor pulled out a defibrillator and ordered the nurses to charge it. 

“Clear,” the doctor shouted. As he struck Jongdae’s chest, the hospital blacked out again. 

“The backup generators aren’t working,” one nurse frantically said. 

“Let’s hope it’s only our sector. The surgeons can’t afford to have a blackout now,” another nurse said. 

The lights flickered on a moment later, and Sehun wanted to fall to the floor when there was still no pulse. 

“Don’t worry,” Baekhyun said, trying to comfort Sehun as he held him tightly, “don’t _worry_. The same thing happened to you. Jongdae’s still there.” 

Sehun clung onto Baekhyun and tried to believe, silently begging for Jongdae to come back to him like he had always done. 

Just as the doctor was about to slam the defibrillators on Jongdae’s chest again, the heart monitors stopped beeping in alarm. Everyone turned to stare at the monitor, and sure enough, a pulse had registered on the screen. Just a small one. Everyone watched in silence as the pulse started to beat more frequently. After thirty very long seconds, Jongdae’s heart had stabilized. 

Sehun breathed. 

“Well he gave us quite a scare,” the doctor said at last. 

“What is it with lightning and this city?” another nurse said, “how do these boys not die?” 

“We’ll be close by if something like this happens again,” the doctor said to Sehun and Baekhyun as the nurses exited the room, “the monitor will alert us if he’s gone into cardiac arrest, but scream if anything looks funny. We’ll check on him every hour. Less if we’re not short-staffed.” 

Sehun numbly nodded, stepping back into the room after everyone else had left. The heart monitor steadily beeped, proving that Jongdae’s heart was still there, still beating. Jongdae was still alive.

He and Baekhyun waited again in silence, each taking their spots by Jongdae’s side. Maybe if they stared hard enough at Jongdae, he would not dare leave them again. 

“His heart,” Sehun said out of nowhere, “went into cardiac arrest because it was going so fast, right?” 

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun softly said. 

“But that’s what happened to me,” Sehun said. 

“If we assume that what’s happening to Jongdae is the same, then that’ll be dangerous for him,” Baekhyun said, “the only thing we can do is wait and monitor him. And not ever give up on him.” 

Give up on Jongdae? Never. 

They’d have to pry Jongdae from Sehun’s hands until he’d ever let go.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

This hospital staff was lenient and allowed them to stay overnight. Sehun had only called in an hour before work started to put in a leave of absence before Joohyun came. 

“Why didn’t you call sooner?” she said as soon as she rushed inside the hospital room. She took Sehun into her arms, hugged him tightly before she rushed to comfort Baekhyun. 

“I can’t think,” Sehun said, “I didn’t.” 

He and Baekhyun both hadn’t slept and hadn’t left Jongdae’s bedside. It wasn’t like they could anyways. Sehun was afraid that the second he dozed off, Jongdae’s heart monitor would plunge into a flat line again, and Sehun would feel like he lost him again. 

“Did you eat? Did you sleep?” Joohyun asked, checking Sehun over. When he refused to answer, she crossed her hands across her chest. 

“You can’t take care of Jongdae if you don’t take care of yourself,” she said, “both of you.” 

“I can’t leave him,” Sehun said. 

“That’s why I’m here,” Joohyun said, and her expression softened, “You three are all the same. Baekhyun and Jongdae were like this when you were in your own coma, too.” 

Sehun said nothing, looking to Jongdae again. 

“Go home,” Joohyun urged, pulling Sehun’s sleeve, “I’ll look after him. So go take a shower. Go eat. Go sleep. We’ll take turns, okay? But I mean it, you two. You better be well rested when you come back.” 

Sehun knew better than to argue with Joohyun and let Baekhyun lead him out of the room before sparing one last look at Jongdae, his tufts of blond hair peeking out from the pillow. 

Sehun was too tired to run home, so he and Baekhyun took a cab back. The city had never looked so fast before even as they were driving at 30 mph. But how could everyone look the same? Smiling as they walked down the streets, living their life just as normal? Didn’t the just know Jongdae had been struck by lightning? That he was in a coma? Why was the rest of the world moving so fast even when Sehun felt like he was stuck, stuck in that moment Jongdae fell? 

When they arrived home, Sehun hated how empty the apartment felt without Jongdae. After showering, they attempted to find something to eat. They both had no appetite, but they needed strength to look after Jongdae, so they ate whatever leftovers they could find in the fridge. 

Afterwards, they tried to sleep. Sehun hid under the blankets while Baekhyun crawled next to him. They held each other for comfort and because they had always slept like this since they were young. 

“I woke up after nine months,” Sehun said as he stared up at the ceiling without blinking, “so if Jongdae’s the same and he wakes up in nine months, then—” 

“We don’t know that for sure,” Baekhyun said, draping a leg over Sehun’s own legs as if he was a pillow. 

“You’re right,” Sehun said, “he could be awake tomorrow.” 

“You’re always too…hopeful,” Baekhyun said, “Won’t it hurt when you hope he’ll wake up tomorrow but he doesn’t?”

“I have to be because I can’t imagine a life without him, just like I can’t imagine a life without you,” Sehun said. 

“That’s how I felt,” Baekhyun said after a pause, “you two are the only ones I have. What if I lost you tomorrow? What if you didn’t wake up? What if Jongdae never wakes up? Then I’ll be alone.” 

“Listen,” Sehun said, turning to cling onto Baekhyun tighter, “You’ll have to tear us out of your lives before we leave you. And even then, we’ll come running straight back. Okay?” 

Baekhyun nodded and closed his eyes. Sehun returned his gaze to the ceiling above. 

Baekhyun really did have no one. His parents gave him up after what he did and sent him to live with relatives in Keystone, which was where he met Jongdae and Sehun. His relatives who raised him never asked him to come back to visit after he was in college, and Baekhyun knew what was implied. Don’t come back. 

So it was just him and Jongdae. Baekhyun sat by himself, ate by himself, and remained by himself at school until Jongdae sat with him, ate with him, and remained by his side whether Baekhyun liked it or not. And after Jongdae introduced a reluctant Baekhyun to Sehun, it had been the three of them. Jongdae, Baekhyun, and Sehun.

“Until Jongdae wakes up, do you want to stay here with me?” Sehun asked. This was for both of their sakes. 

“It’s funny,” Baekhyun said, a smile creeping on his face though his eyes were still closed. “Jongdae said the same thing when you were the one in the hospital.”

Sehun took that as a yes and closed his eyes, falling into a sleep that was thankfully blank. No dreams, just rest.

 

 

ϟ

 

 

“Are you here to buy something?” the clerk said, looking up as the bells chimed. 

Sehun ran inside, halfway across the store before the door finally shut. He didn’t know why he was here, but anywhere was better than the hospital. He couldn’t stay in the hospital much longer because the sight of Jongdae laying there sent him into tears every time. He needed somewhere to escape, somewhere that wouldn’t remind him of Jongdae. 

The apartment was empty without Jongdae, and Sehun was always struck by the sight of the chair that Jongdae used to sit in, the mug Jongdae always liked using, the side of the bed Jongdae always slept in. Work was no different, and all those pictures of Jongdae awake, smiling around the room, haunted him. 

So now he was here.

He pulled up a chair on the clerk’s counter and pushed his head down on the glass, covering it with his arms. 

“What’s up,” the clerk said, “I take it…you’re not buying anything today?” 

Sehun only jerked his head in response. 

“What’s wrong?” the clerk said after a while. His voice was softer, and Sehun felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“You remember my boyfriend?” Sehun said, his voice slightly muffled. 

“How could I forget?” the clerk said, “You never shut up about him. I even know useless facts about him. Your boyfriend likes bleaching his hair so he’s always blond. He’s a forensic scientist, which means he’s smart. Probably smarter than the guy who owns a tech shop next door, but it’s not that hard to be smarter than him if you ask me. And you love him.” 

A pause. 

“Yeah,” Sehun said, his fists clenching tighter, “ _yeah_. Him.” 

He felt tears prick his eyes. 

Again. 

“So…what’s wrong?” the clerk asked, “Did you two break up or something?” 

“ _No_ ,” Sehun said, “No…no.” 

“Then what?” the clerk said, “You’re lucky no other customers are here. I can’t have you crying all over my store…just think of all the cleaning up I’ll have to do.” 

But he kept his hand on Sehun’s shoulder and squeezed it again. 

“He,” Sehun began to say before a lump formed in his throat. It hurt to swallow, it hurt to talk, and it hurt even more to care. But he forced himself onwards, and in a hoarse voice, he spoke. “He was struck by lightning, and he’s in a coma now.” 

Silence. 

“Oh my god,” the clerk said in a hushed voice, “Isn’t that what happened to you? What the fuck…” 

Then he lowered his voice. 

“I’m so sorry,” he said, “Is he okay?” 

“I watched his heart stop so many times,” Sehun said, closing his eyes to avoid staring at the bright lights in the display case below him, “what if he doesn’t wake up?” 

“If you woke up after nine months, then I’m sure he will, too,” the clerk said, “and not to sound like I’m trying to take advantage of your fragile emotional state to sell you something, but are you finally going to buy him something? You can give it to him when he wakes up.” 

Sehun sniffled and pulled himself up before giving the clerk a nod. 

“Do you have anything new?” Sehun asked, “Anything I haven’t seen before?” 

“No,” the clerk said, “you’ve seen everything and didn’t want to buy a single thing.”

Sehun dropped his lips into a pout. 

“Don’t give me that look,” the clerk said with a frown. 

“Not to sound like I’m trying to take advantage of your heart to make you sell me the best thing you have, but can you check the back,” Sehun said. 

The clerk sighed. 

“Fuck. I’ll check the back,” the clerk said, throwing his hands up in the air. 

An hour later, Sehun left the exasperated clerk after buying nothing, but feeling slightly better. He’d give Jongdae something when he woke up. 

When.

 

 

ϟ 

 

 

Sehun did not have the strength to put on the Flash suit, so he hoped the police could handle whatever happened. But it seemed the criminals of the city had taken advantage of his absence and had acted. One day, a gang of masked robbers tried to steal a whole fleet of armored cars, only to be stopped by an unlikely person. 

Sehun almost fell off his chair as he watched the news. 

“We are standing here with the person who stopped the thieves from stealing ten armored cars all at once. Do you have anything to say?” Sunyoung announced to the camera before passing her mic to the person beside her. 

“Yeah. I do. I want to know what the fuck I was thinking,” a familiar voice said, “sticking around to do this little...interview. I could’ve just stolen everything myself.” 

“Well, you didn’t steal anything,” Sunyoung beamed, and Sehun really had to admire how it seemed like she’d never be scared of anything. Beside her stood Jessica, fur lined hood pulled over her head, familiar goggles in place. She held her cold gun with two hands. 

“Can we expect more of this from you?” Sunyoung asked, “Is this Captain Cold, hero of the city, permanent?” 

“Permanent?” Jessica laughed, “Hero? _Please_. As if. Tell the Flash he owes me one…ten for all of this.” 

With that, she stalked off the camera screen.

But the city continued to wonder where the Flash was after two weeks without him. The articles that Joohyun wrote about the Flash nowadays, still under Sehun’s name, displayed headlines like this.

 

WHERE IS THE FLASH? 

FLASH ON VACATION?

 

Joohyun carefully chose her language to emphasize that the Flash wasn’t gone for good, and that he had another life the city should respect, too.

 _We forget that he is one of us. Someone who walks the streets beside us every day without telling us who he is. Someone who has another job, another life, too. He’s a kind soul, an average person kind enough to give up their time and perhaps even his life to help us whenever he can. So it shouldn’t matter if he’s gone a day, a week, or a month. Maybe he’s taking a break. Who could blame him after everything he’s seen. But if we need him, he will come back._  

Luckily, there were no disasters, no bombs that forced Sehun to make a hard choice about returning. The white speedster was gone, too. For now.

So Sehun focused all his attention on Jongdae. He brought his work to the hospital, staying by Jongdae’s side as he wrote his articles under the bright white hospital lights. He looked up every now and then to make sure Jongdae was still there, still fine, still alive. 

If he had a work meeting, then he had no choice but to drag himself to the building. But other than that, he was at the hospital for as much as he could stand. When the hospital became too suffocating, when he found it hard to breathe every time his mind tricked him to think Jongdae wasn’t breathing, or when Joohyun ordered him to go home, he left. 

To investigate.

The second murder was still out there, and what better surprise could Sehun present Jongdae with after he woke up? 

Sehun retraced every hint, every piece of evidence and witness testimony, but there was nothing. Nothing new. Not even the smallest proof that there was a second killer. But Sehun was determined to find him no matter the cost. 

And then help came from the most unexpected of places. 

“I heard Jongdae was in a coma,” Junmyeon said when Sehun was at work for a meeting. He clapped Sehun’s shoulder, but it felt gentler this time. “I’m so sorry, Sehun. Please send him my regards. I wish him a speedy recovery.” 

“Thanks, Junmyeon,” Sehun said. He appreciated it, but he was here to work, not cry again. 

“Anytime, Sehun,” Junmyeon said, “If there’s anything I can do to help, then please let me know. My father always told me that Jongdae was one of our finest forensic scientists in the city. It’s hard to find a forensic scientist with his skills and trustworthiness apparently.” 

He shrugged and walked away, but Sehun stopped him. 

“What do you mean trustworthy?” Sehun asked, “Don’t all of them have to be in order to work on the force?” 

“Oh, Sehun,” Junmyeon laughed, “just like there are corrupt police officers, there are corrupt forensic scientists. But don’t worry. I’m working on it. I’ll weed every single one of them out if I have to.” 

“What do they do?” Sehun asked, “these corrupt forensic scientists.” 

Junmyeon looked around the room before lowering his voice and leaning closer to Sehun. 

“You’d be surprised what they’d do for some money. I can’t say I relate since my father’s always been rich. But, you know,” Junmyeon whispered, “A little tamper of evidence here, a little loss of evidence there. It’s terrible, really. Can’t think of all the cold cases that’ll go unsolved because of them.” 

Sehun let Junmyeon walk away this time, lost in thought. He spent the whole day thinking of what Junmyeon had said, sitting through his meeting staring blankly into nowhere, only speaking after Qian called his name to ask if he was still with them. 

After his meeting ended, he ran to the hospital and paced around Jongdae’s room, his mind still buzzing. 

“What’s up,” Baekhyun said as he bent over to check Jongdae’s blankets.

“Do you know any corrupt forensic scientists?” Sehun asked, still pacing. 

“No,” Baekhyun said, “we all do our jobs like we should. Why?” 

“I was thinking about Jongdae’s case,” Sehun said, “Junmyeon said there were corrupt forensic scientists. What if one of them tampered with the evidence? Made something disappear?” 

“First of all,” Baekhyun said after a pause, “I can’t believe you’d actually listen to something that Junmyeon said. Second of all…if that were true, they would have been taken off the force immediately. Or they wouldn’t even have been hired. Dr. Lee handpicks his team. I’ve done other things, but at least I’m not corrupt. He saw that. And I’m grateful he gave me a second chance to do this work.” 

“Okay,” Sehun said, finally standing still, “but that case happened years and years ago. Anything could have happened then. The leading forensic scientists in charge of that case could be retired or dead by now. What if they did something?” 

Baekhyun shifted uneasily as if he was concerned with Jongdae listening into their conversation, witnessing their talk of such a tragic event. 

“Well,” Baekhyun said with a sigh, “I don’t think we’ve ever tried investigating from that angle, so let’s do it. For Jongdae. Let’s find who presided that case and go from there.” 

“Great,” Sehun said, clapping his hands together. It was his fault for not realizing sooner. They had always looked at what evidence was missing, what was hiding from the evidence that they did have. But they had never suspected the people who processed the evidence in the first place. “How do we access those case files and police reports?” 

“We can file a petition for it or I’ll try to use my own clearance,” Baekhyun said. 

Sehun stared at him, and Baekhyun seemed to know what Sehun was thinking and looked away. Sehun didn’t ask, didn’t push it. Sure. No hacking. Not after Baekhyun did what he had done. But imagine everything Baekhyun could access in a single second if he strayed away from legal cyber boundaries. 

“I’ll go see what I can do at the station later today,” Baekhyun nodded, “It’d be nice if we finally found something useful and wrapped this up. For Jongdae.”

Sehun nodded and sank into the chair beside Jongdae with a long sigh.

“You know,” Baekhyun said, a small smile flitting on his face as he watched Sehun, “I’ve been through this experience twice in a row now, but don’t you know how alike you and Jongdae are?” 

“When you were laying here unconscious, he sat in that same chair and waited for you,” Baekhyun said, “Just like you’re doing now. You’re always by each other’s side, always waiting for each other, always there. And when you’re not, you always come back to each other.” 

“You’re here, too, Baekhyun,” Sehun said. 

“Because you didn’t push me away,” Baekhyun said, lowering his gaze, “But you should have.” 

“No,” Sehun shook his head, “Never. We never did then, and we never will.” 

When Baekhyun first transferred to Jongdae’s high school, he had kept to himself. But after Jongdae was partnered up with him for a science project, that was the end of Baekhyun’s solitude. Though not by his choice. Baekhyun refused to talk to Jongdae outside of class, refused to talk to anyone at all, but Jongdae didn’t care. Jongdae followed Baekhyun whenever he ran away and talked to him even when he wouldn’t listen. After maybe a month of realizing he was stuck with Jongdae, Baekhyun stopped pushing Jongdae away. The next day, Jongdae introduced Baekhyun to Sehun after he picked him up from his middle school. 

And here they were today. 

“This is all my fault,” Baekhyun said, pulling at the bottom of his shirt.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Sehun insisted, “This is that white speedster’s fault.”

And his own. 

But he would reflect on that another time. 

“No, it’s mine,” Baekhyun said, “I’m just bad luck with a bad record, and this is probably some cosmic karma reminding me I don’t deserve any ha—”

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said before Baekhyun could go any further, “You’re a good person, and—”

Baekhyun cut him off and raised his voice.

“Come _on_ , Sehun,” he said, quickly standing up and throwing his hands in the air, “You know my past. You know my criminal record. You can’t excuse all those things I’ve did, people I’ve hurt.”

Sehun remembered the first time Baekhyun told him and Jongdae why he had transferred schools, why his parents sent him to live with some extended relatives. He had told them perhaps in an effort to chase them away. Or to see if they’d stay despite that. 

And they did.

“Those people took advantage of you,” Sehun said, “You were just a kid, and you didn’t know better.”

“I knew _exactly_ what they wanted me to do, and I still did it,” Baekhyun said, jabbing at the air with a pointed finger, “It was like…a fucking game to me. I don’t know what I was thinking.” 

“You were thirteen,” Sehun said.

“I was _stupid_ ,” Baekhyun said, his voice almost a shout, “How many people lost their homes, their…their bank accounts, their _everything_ because of me?” 

Baekhyun was anything but stupid. He was smart enough to design and make a suit that was sturdy enough to allow Sehun to run at high speeds without burning up, to pass all his hard science classes in university without having to study that much, to invent anything he needed and wanted with the simplest of tools and materials. 

But his real talents lay in hacking.

He could access any computer, any security cams, any phone he wanted, and there was no limit to what Baekhyun could do with a keyboard. It was a pity he had given it all up after he was arrested when he was thirteen.

The wrong people noticed what he was capable of doing and asked him to help erase criminal files, commit cyber robbery, leak sensitive information. And to especially steal identities. Baekhyun stole social security numbers, bank accounts, and anything those people wanted, doing it for a little money and a lot of praise. But the same people who used him gave up on him when the police asked members of their group they arrested for names in return for reduced jail time. 

Baekhyun’s parents had always told him to quit staring at his computer screen, and it was the last thing they told him again before they sent him away, disappointed and ashamed of what their son had done.

“All I’m saying is that I’ll always be making up for what I did. And if you just listened to me the first time we met and stayed away, we wouldn’t be here,” Baekhyun said wearily said as he sank back down in his chair. 

Baekhyun still didn’t understand.

“Okay fine,” Sehun said, causing Baekhyun to quickly look at him, “If I had listened and stayed away, maybe we wouldn’t be sitting here. But do you know why?”

Baekhyun didn’t answer. 

“Because I wouldn’t be the Flash if you hadn’t made me my suit. I wouldn’t be the Flash if you hadn't inspired me and pushed me to start running for the city. I wouldn’t be the Flash if you hadn’t asked me to be a part of something that I would’ve never dreamed of months ago,” Sehun said. 

“Because you were in a coma,” Baekhyun mumbled, but he had begun to relax. 

“Anyways,” Sehun said, “Remember that you are not who you were. Because you’re someone better now, brighter now, and both Jongdae and I would not be here or anywhere without you.”

Baekhyun stared long and hard at Sehun, and though he didn’t nod, the edges of his lips slightly lifted upwards.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

If Sehun was being honest, he didn’t know why he hadn’t been fired yet or at least suspended. He brought his work to do at the hospital, but it wasn’t like he could stare at the screen like everything was fine and completely normal when Jongdae was right there next to him motionless. Unconscious. Here but gone. Gone but here. 

When Joohyun visited Jongdae with Sehun, her productivity slowed, but she had the willpower Sehun wished he had to work. She typed a few words, read a few lines, and wrote a few comments before checking on Jongdae to make sure he was still breathing. Then she’d look back down and continue working. 

It was perhaps hardest on Baekhyun because he had a job that required him to be in the lab and in the field. He resisted as much as he could until ten calls from Dr. Lee was too much and he had to storm away, to leave Jongdae’s side. There was no rest for Baekhyun who saw the most terrible things during the day and came home at night to see his worst nightmare come to life. 

So Sehun was surprised when Baekhyun returned around lunch break with a smile on his face. 

“So,” Baekhyun said, taking his place at Jongdae’s side, “I have the file.” 

“Did you file a petition? Use your credentials?” Sehun asked, closing his laptop. It wasn’t like he had written anything substantial anyways. 

“No,” Baekhyun said, “I may or may not have used Dr. Lee’s passwords to access it.” 

“How do you know Dr. Lee’s passwords?” Sehun asked. 

“Borrowed them,” Baekhyun winked. 

“Incredible,” Sehun said. Baekhyun seemed fine with stealing, breaking in, but he supposed hacking was still off limits. “What did you find?” 

“This was Dr. Lee’s first case, so he couldn’t have had that much authority at first,” Baekhyun said. 

“Who was his supervisor?” Sehun asked. 

“Dr. Choi,” Baekhyun said. 

“Great. We’ll ask him some questions, and maybe he’ll know what happened,” Sehun said as he stood up. 

“Well, we have a problem,” Baekhyun said. 

“What is it?” Sehun said, halfway putting on his jacket. 

“He’s dead,” Baekhyun said. 

Sehun stared. 

“Then we’ll ask Dr. Lee,” he said. No problem. Nothing would get in his way. If he could make ghosts talk, then he’d be there at the graveyard next to Dr. Choi’s tombstone. But he only had super speed, so he was about to step outside and speed towards Dr. Lee’s office. 

“Can’t do that either,” Baekhyun said, sinking in a chair next to Jongdae, “He teaches today.” 

Sehun made a face and took a seat beside Baekhyun. 

“Fine. I’ll wait,” Sehun said, crossing his arms.

“Do you really think he’d know anything about it?” Baekhyun said, “If his supervisor did something? If he actually hid some evidence?” 

There were so many ifs, but Sehun knew these absolutes. 

There was a second killer. 

They would find that second killer. 

Jongdae would wake up. 

“I don’t know,” Sehun admitted, “but we’ll see where this takes us, right?” 

He reached over to hold Jongdae’s hand and tried to be strong. 

“We’ll find that second killer for you, Jongdae,” Sehun said a little softer, “and when you wake up, you’ll finally have peace.” 

He was hoping for anything, maybe even a slight twitch of Jongdae’s finger, the fluttering of his eyes at the sound of this promise. Sehun expected no reaction, but instead, he was met by the rapid beeping of the heart monitor. 

He stood up, knocking his chair back, feeling it hard to breathe when he stared at that flat green line. Baekhyun screamed for the nurses and doctors, but Sehun could only hold his head and scream for Jongdae, scream that he could not lose him now. 

The nurses rushed back inside, but before they could reach Jongdae, the power surged, plunging them into darkness. Someone rummaged for flashlights, knocking things over and causing loud clattering to echo into the darkness. Sehun pulled out his phone and fumbled for the flashlight, shining a light on the nurses. 

“Do something,” he urged. 

The nurses scrambled to find flashlights while the head doctor ripped the blankets away from Jongdae and exposed his chest. He quickly brought out the defibrillator and ordered charges again and again. Jongdae’s body jerked as the electricity shocked him. But there was no change in the heart monitor. No pulse. 

Even after the lights flickered back on, the green line stayed flat. Sehun stared, his last breath choked in his throat. 

“Time of death,” the doctor said after a pause, checking the clock, “is—” 

“ _No_ ,” Baekhyun shouted, pushing his way through the nurses to stand right in front of the doctor, eyes blazing, “he’s not dead.” 

“I am sorry,” the doctor said, eyes softening, “but that flat line means he’s dead.” 

“You,” Baekhyun started to say, shaking his head, “You don’t understand.” 

“That’s the grief, kid. I am so sorry for your loss, but your friend is dead. We tried everything we could. The defibrillators couldn’t revive him, so I’m afraid we’ll have to report him as dead,” the doctor said, attempting to step towards the door before Baekhyun blocked his path and refused to let him leave. 

“This is the exact same thing that’s happened with Sehun,” Baekhyun said, pointing at Sehun, “And look! He’s okay. Does he look dead to you?” 

The doctor looked at Sehun hard, tilting his head as if he didn’t quite believe. Why would he anyways? What were the chances of being struck by lightning? And what were the chances of actually surviving that trauma? 

“You know what,” Baekhyun said, raising a hand, “We’ll just take him. Bring him home. Hospice care.” 

The doctor looked like he wanted to argue with Baekhyun. Hospice care? What hospice care could there be for a dead man? But he glanced once again at Baekhyun’s clenched jaw and sighed. 

“If you want to take him,” the doctor said, placing a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, “then take him and go. But let’s say his heart comes back. I don’t know where you live, but do you want to risk having to drive him all the way back here for treatment? I doubt you’ll be fast enough to bring him back in a second.”

“Yeah I’ll take that risk,” Baekhyun said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Very well. The nurses will give you the proper paperwork,” the doctor said. 

Baekhyun had already done this once, so he took care of all the paperwork, letting Sehun sit by Jongdae’s side until he finished scrawling out signatures and making the phone calls he needed to make. Sehun sat, unwilling to let go of Jongdae’s hand. He refused to look at the monitor. Just because it couldn’t read Jongdae’s pulse didn’t mean he was dead. It just meant his heart was faster than what the monitors could handle. That was all That. Was. All. 

As it turned out, the doctors truly had given up too soon, as five minutes later, Jongdae’s pulse was back. A steady beat. A small ripple on the screen, but still a beat. 

An hour later, Baekhyun and Sehun had dragged out that old bed Sehun had lain in for nine months before bringing Jongdae home, hooking him up to all the wires and monitors and laying him down under the sheets. 

It had been a long day, and both of them desperately needed some rest. Baekhyun’s hair was disheveled after all the times he had run his hand through it. His eyes kept drooping, head jerking forward as he dozed off every now and then, only awakened as his body tilted forwards. 

“Go to bed,” Sehun ordered after watching Baekhyun jerk awake for the tenth time, “I’ll stay with him.” 

Baekhyun opened his mouth to protest before letting out a loud yawn. He hesitated before nodding. 

“I’ll take a quick nap and take your place when I wake up,” Baekhyun said, clapping Sehun’s shoulder with a hand. 

Without taking a shower, without eating anything, without even changing his clothes, Baekhyun crashed on the couch a few meters away, falling asleep as soon as he closed his eyes. 

Sehun returned his attention to Jongdae and held his hand. This was his life now. His life as Sehun the writer. Sehun the Flash could wait. If he survived lightning, then Jongdae could, too. If he woke up in nine months, then Jongdae would do it in half the time because he was Jongdae. But if Sehun woke up with speed, then would Jongdae, too? 

It seemed Baekhyun had set an alarm for an hour, as he jolted awake after a loud beeping noise sounded. He groaned, jabbed at his screen to shut it off, and went back to sleep. After three more alarms, Baekhyun rolled himself off of the couch and stumbled sleepily back to Sehun. 

“Your turn to sleep,” Baekhyun said, tapping Sehun’s shoulder with one hand, scrolling through his phone with his other as he tried to become more conscious. 

“You barely slept,” Sehun said. 

“Don’t you have an early meeting tomorrow?” Baekhyun asked, “go sleep.” 

Sehun grumbled and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. After drinking two cups, he filled another glass for Baekhyun. They had forgotten to eat dinner, but they could at least stay hydrated. 

Once Sehun returned, Baekhyun’s expression concerned him. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he held his phone sideways to watch something. 

“What is it?” Sehun said, sitting down next to Baekhyun on the ground. Baekhyun tilted the screen away from Sehun, placing his phone facedown on his lap as he stared in the distance. 

“Something…really odd,” Baekhyun slowly said, “I don’t know if you should or want to see it, but—” 

“I want to see it,” Sehun said, putting his glass of water on the floor as he snatched Baekhyun’s phone up. He paused the video, dragged it back to the beginning, and pressed play. 

It seemed to be security footage of a street. Sehun watched as cars drove past the street, waiting for something to happen. Nothing out of the ordinary did, and he was about to return the phone in confusion before he saw a red streak blur through the street, smashing the windows of the parked cars and breaking the windows of the store in a second.

“That’s,” Sehun began to say, lowering the phone and replaying the video again and again and again, “Wait that’s not me. How…Why does this video exist? I didn’t do that. Do people think I did that?” 

He turned Baekhyun’s phone upright and swiped down to see the comments. 

 _The Flash is so fucking rude what the fuck_

_Lock him up?? He needs to apologize_

_I always knew he would mess up. Heroes bring nothing but trouble_. 

“I’m not a hero,” Sehun mumbled out of reflex. It wasn’t like these few people were attacking him, Oh Sehun, regular Central City citizen. Just…The Flash. Sehun might not have felt like he deserved any praise the Flash received, but that didn’t mean these comments didn’t bother him.

Baekhyun snatched the phone away.

“You shouldn’t have scrolled down,” he said, “don’t listen to them.” 

“So the whole city hates me now?” Sehun asked. 

“It can’t be that bad,” Baekhyun shook his head, “who would be gullible enough to believe a badly edited video, right? There are just a few idiots being too loud.” 

Sehun shrugged. 

“I don’t know,” he said. Perhaps it was good he hadn’t worn that Flash suit in a long time. He didn’t know if he could run around knowing people had been waiting for him to fail. To fall. 

“It’ll die down,” Baekhyun assured him, “These things usually do. I’m sure the rest of the city will forget overnight.” 

“Okay,” Sehun said.

Okay. 

He couldn’t really care about this now anyways. His priority was finding the second killer and waiting for Jongdae to wake up.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

But if anything, it worsened overnight. 

Not that Sehun immediately knew since the first thing he did after waking up was striding over to Jongdae’s bed and checking to see if he was fine. Sehun called Jongdae’s name, sang his favorite songs, and squeezed his hand. He tried anything to wake Jongdae up. Anything at all. 

He gave up for the morning but refused to give up forever. After Baekhyun sleepily stirred a moment later, Sehun headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Baekhyun did not give a single fuck whether or not he’d be late for work, so he fell back against the sheets and closed his eyes again. 

That morning, Sehun didn’t check his phone at all, didn’t go on the internet, or any social media. If someone needed to contact him, they’d call or they’d see him in person when he’d show up at work. He had a meeting today after all, so Baekhyun had called in sick so he could watch Jongdae in Sehun’s absence. 

Sehun didn’t notice anything different when he walked through the streets. The taxis slowly drove around, looking for civilians waving their hands to hail them over. People walked around him smiling just like usual. If Sehun had the energy, he’d stop to interview someone. But he didn’t, so on he went. 

He didn’t notice anything different when he rode the elevator up to his floor. But that’s because he didn’t pay attention. His mind was on Jongdae so he didn’t hear the hushed conversations between his co-workers, didn’t see one of them scrolling through his phone with a hand over his mouth. 

No, he noticed nothing and would have continued noticing nothing until he heard a loud argument down the hall. Curious, he looked and found Joohyun striding after Qian, loudly arguing with her. 

“I can’t believe you allowed this,” Joohyun said, her heels clicking furiously on the marble floor. Qian kept her expression neutral and walked towards her office as if nothing were wrong. 

“I _can’t_ believe you allowed this,” Joohyun said louder as they walked closer into the main section of the floor. 

“We report the news,” Qian said, “If this is the news, then it’s the news.” 

Joohyun pressed a hand to her forehead before she lowered it. 

“You—” she said, pointing her finger at Qian’s face. The rest of the office stared. 

Sehun rushed forwards before Joohyun could get herself fired. 

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked her, “What’s wrong?” 

Joohyun turned, eyes widening as if she noticed him for the first time. Then her eyebrows furrowed. 

“Haven’t you watched the news today?” Joohyun asked, “Do you know what our affiliate news station, our own newspaper, and every other newspaper and news channel did?” 

“…No?” Sehun asked, “I’ve been busy.” 

Joohyun pressed her lips together and placed a hand on Sehun’s arm. 

“This is what the city did to the Flash,” she said, snatching up the remote and turning the TV on, switching though channels every now and then. 

Sehun caught a glimpse of headlines, snippets of what news anchors were saying. Joohyun was flipping through channels so quickly that he didn’t have a chance to process what the anchors were saying. But the headlines that kept flashing across the screen made him freeze. It seemed a few hate comments turned into ten, ten into a hundred, a hundred into something the news thought was enough to talk about.

 

FLASH DESTROYS CIVILAN PROPERTY 

FLASH GONE ROGUE? 

FLASH AS GOOD AS DEAD

 

“I don’t understand,” Sehun said, trying to sound unaffected, “Why?” 

Joohyun squeezed his arm and turned back to Qian. 

“Every single newspaper and news channel has believed the Internet,” Joohyun said, “Because apparently making enough commotion about lies is enough to constitute a story.” 

“It’s news if it’s what the people are interested in,” Qian said. 

“That doesn’t excuse you from allowing it to be reported so terribly. You tell us never to show our bias unless we’re doing editorial pieces. So what is this?” Joohyun asked, almost trembling in fury. 

“We have the facts,” Qian said, “a red blur destroying a whole fleet of cars and vandalizing stores. Do you know any other red blurs? It seems like the Flash.” 

“But you’re not even a hundred percent sure,” Joohyun said, throwing her hands up in the air, “You’re destroying someone who gave his whole life for this city. This is how you all repay him?” 

“Get back to work, Joohyun,” Qian curtly said, “If you wanted to be in charge of writing articles, then you should’ve been a writer. Not an editor.” 

Sehun didn’t have to look at Joohyun to see the way her expression crumpled for a second before she fought to keep her expression neutral. Just like always. 

“Then she’ll write,” Sehun said directly to Qian’s face, “Then she’ll write better than any of you.” 

He led her into their office and locked the door behind them without giving a chance for Qian to fire them. They didn’t sit at their desks, only stood and stared at each other. Both thinking of each other. Both thinking of themselves. 

Joohyun finally spoke. 

“I can’t believe the city’s this gullible,” she said, “How could they do that to you after everything you’ve done for them?”

Sehun sighed. 

“This is the least of my worries right now,” Sehun said. 

“Really?” Joohyun said, “the whole city turning on you is a minor issue?” 

“Maybe it’s ranked third…fifth on things that concern me,” Sehun said, “but if it’s not Jongdae, then I don’t care.” 

“You should care,” Joohyun said, “because experts have analyzed the video and determined the coloring of the video was changed. It wasn’t a person dressed in red who did all that, but white.” 

White? 

“So it was the white speedster,” Sehun wearily said, “He…did this.” 

“Probably to ruin your reputation,” Joohyun said. 

“Well,” Sehun said with a slight laugh, “it worked.” 

“I’ll fix this,” Joohyun said, “I’ll fix this, so focus on finding him and proving he exists to the rest of the world.” 

“I’d rather focus on Jongdae,” Sehun said with a sigh, “I don’t want to do anything else except stay by his side.” 

Then he looked at Joohyun, noticed her clenched fists, her stormy gaze. 

“But you’re okay, too, right?” he asked, remembering everything she had said to Qian. He wondered if Qian was across the hall preparing to fire her as they spoke. But fire her for what? Saying what she believed? Defending him? 

“I pushed Qian too hard,” Joohyun said, looking down, “I guess we’ll find out what happens.” 

“Well,” Sehun said, “What’s clear is that you should write more. Publish what you write.” 

“I already am,” Joohyun said. 

“Under my name,” Sehun said. 

“So that’s enough,” Joohyun insisted. 

“Is it?” Sehun asked, “Someone will find out sooner or later. Or if not, don’t you think you deserve better than this? Write under your own name, Joohyun.” 

“I can’t think about that right now,” Joohyun shook her head, “Jongdae’s in a coma, that white speedster is still out there, and you’re being attacked for no reason.” 

“I mean…” Sehun began to say, “If the city wants the Flash gone, then he’ll be gone. He’s been gone for some time already. Maybe I’ll take this as a sign and quit for good.” 

“No,” Joohyun protested, grabbing Sehun’s arm, “You make this city better, Sehun. How many lives have you saved? Do you know the hope you bring even with the mere mention of your name?” 

“Flash,” Sehun said, testing out how the name sounded when he spoke it himself again. He hated it. “Someone else can be the Flash then.” 

“I meant your own name,” Joohyun said, “Sehun. Oh Sehun. The Flash is just something you use to amplify your heart. Come on…Someone with your same, exact powers would never be able to have the same impact on the city. Yeah, you’re the Flash, but you’re so much more than that.” 

Sehun looked down, unable to meet Joohyun’s gaze. 

“So much less,” Sehun corrected, “That’s the truth. I always second-guess every move out there, and I’m always afraid. Jongdae kept that fear in check, but what do I do now since he’s unconscious?” 

He loved more than he feared, but now he feared because he loved. He feared that one day he’d come home and find Jongdae’s heart stopped for good, find that white speedster dangling Baekhyun off of a building, find someone else threaten Joohyun.

“When will you realize you are good all on your own?” Joohyun asked, “your friends support you, but you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already have something great, something fearless, something incredible already inside yourself.” 

“Then when will you realize you can’t give up writing?” Sehun said, deflecting Joohyun’s words immediately, “that if you want to write, then just write? Don’t wait for the articles, Joohyun. Write for yourself.” 

“This again,” Joohyun said, finally sinking into a chair, “I told you. We have bigger things to worry about.” 

“This is big because it concerns you,” Sehun said, “Why don’t you tell Qian you wrote the articles? She’ll let you write them with your name on it. If you don’t have enough time between writing and editing, then I’ll edit, too. You can make this work.” 

“You really think she, who takes plagiarism seriously, will let me walk away from that?” Joohyun said. 

“Then what do we do now,” Sehun said with a sigh as he sat down, “about everything?” 

“We push on,” Joohyun nodded, speaking with such a strong certainty that Sehun felt convinced, that there was nothing else to do but this, “so we push on and continue to live. I’ll fix this news even if I have to burn every news station to the ground. We wait for Jongdae, and you find that white speedster. We start from there.”

She smacked the surface of the table and flipped open her laptop to start working on whatever the hell that meant. 

That was Joohyun. If Sehun had even a fraction of her willpower, then he’d finish everything he needed to do in a second. It was hard to motivate himself, to finish articles, to pull himself out of bed sometimes. It would’ve been easier to take a thousand year nap instead of facing his problems, but Sehun had already done that nearly a year ago, so he was out of options. Everything he did, he liked to say he did for Central City’s citizens, for Joohyun, for Baekhyun, for Jongdae. 

But what did he do for himself?

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Nothing much for now. 

Sehun still woke up for Jongdae, sat next to the bed for Jongdae, cooked for Baekhyun when he was too tired, still sent in his articles for Joohyun and continued letting her use his name. It was easier to say he could finish things when he cited others he loved for motivation. But for himself? He didn’t know. 

He saved people because he wanted to, but now that was taken away. 

The city continued to turn on the Flash. Police officers who had hid their discontentment with him for meddling with their job vocalized more of their dissent. Other people stated that they didn’t want a vigilante running around their city. This was Central City, not Star City. Other people said that it was only time before some kind of rogue gallery filled with hundreds of criminals who wanted to kill the Flash and hurt the city in the process was formed. This was Central City, not Gotham. 

Baekhyun loudly protested and threw back his own commentary whenever he watched the news. It would’ve been better if Sehun stayed away from the news, but he couldn’t help but look at the horrifying headlines that flooded every newspaper, website, and channel. So it was that easy to spread hate wasn’t it? 

“Did they fucking forget how many times you saved their lives?” Baekhyun said, shaking his head. 

“The Flash should just disappear,” one man gave his opinion in front of the camera. Sehun snatched up the remote in case Baekhyun felt the urge to throw it at the TV. “Wasn’t he working with Golden Glider just the other day? Didn’t a policeman die trying to give him backup? Hasn’t he been seen talking to Captain Cold…the city’s very own most wanted, most dangerous criminal? The Flash is a liability. The mayor should issue a warrant to have him taken down, or he should know better and stay down. Stay away from the city.” 

The other anchor announced a Flash debate after the commercial break, and Sehun took that as a chance to let out a deep sigh. 

“It should’ve been Jongdae,” Sehun said, sliding into the couch, hiding his face in his hands, “It really should’ve been Jongdae. He would’ve made a Flash that the city never doubted, a better Flash than me.” 

Maybe the universe was so insistent on giving Jongdae the super speed he was meant for that they had to strike him with lightning twice. This…this was never meant for Sehun. He was sure of it. 

“I don’t think it should’ve been Jongdae,” Baekhyun said, reaching over to touch Sehun’s arm, “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. But you made a choice, a choice that could have ended with you dead. And yet, you still ran to save Jongdae without even hesitating, without even thinking that the lightning might have killed you.”

“It didn’t,” Sehun said in a small voice. 

“Yeah. It didn’t,” Baekhyun nodded, “and look where you are today. Only you get to say who you are. Not the newspapers, not the city, not me, not even Jongdae. I made you the suit, but you wear it by choice. So the question is, Sehun. Who do you think you are? Who are you?” 

“I’m just me,” Sehun said, feeling the urge to phase through the sofa and disappear into the ground, “That’s all I’ve been this whole time.”

He was spared from continuing this conversation further as the channel was back after a series of commercials. It seemed Sunyoung was facilitating the discussion, as she greeted the camera with a smile. 

“Hello, we are here today to hear two differing opinions about the Flash,” Sunyoung said, “Please welcome Mr. Kim, Flash expert at Central City Picture News, who believes the Flash should be held accountable for what the video showed.” 

It was the same man before, who nodded at the camera when it focused on him. 

“And on the opposing side,” Sunyoung said, “Please welcome Bae Joohyun, editor of the Central City Times, who believes the opposite.”

Sehun’s jaw dropped as none other than Joohyun herself appeared on the screen. Her glasses were gone, and she sat, looking at the camera unflinchingly. Joohyun would never go out of her way to talk unless she had to. And now, it seemed, she apparently had to. 

Baekhyun shot off the couch and let out a whoop, pointing at the screen before he laughed. 

“Fuck!” he said, “she’s going to tear that man apart! Look how mad she is.” 

Sehun stared at the screen, now divided to show the three people. Sunyoung posed the issue, and the man and Joohyun prepared to answer as they listened. Sehun recognized that cool expression on Joohyun’s face. The ever so slightly raised single eyebrow. The slight press of her lips together. The other man was going to die.

“…Some people think this video is photoshopped. Edited. CGI,” Sunyoung said, “Experts have concluded that it is indeed real, but the coloring has been altered, showing the figure in the video was white, rather than red. What do you think about it?” 

“That fucking _d—”_ Baekhyun began to mutter before the man spoke, drowning out his swear. 

“Obviously he tried to do some damage in a different outfit,” the man said after clearing his throat, “but someone found the video and tried to show the truth.” 

“So you say that this is the Flash,” Sunyoung said. 

“Yes,” the man said, “the Flash is probably a teenager by the looks of it. This is simple vandalism and petty juvenile damage for no good reason. The Flash should be held accountable for this.” 

“What do you think, Joohyun?” Sunyoung said. 

“I think he’s wrong,” Joohyun bluntly said. She paused, giving time for everyone to listen to her statement before she continued. “I think that the video has obviously been maliciously edited to ruin the Flash’s name, and people who are unable to see that believe it.” 

The man’s eyebrows had shot up.

“So you say this is someone else,” Sunyoung said, “then who? We only know of one speedster so far.” 

“There is another,” Joohyun said, “who runs around in a white suit, and—”

“We would’ve seen someone like that,” the man interrupted, causing Joohyun’s eyes to narrow. “Let’s face it. The Flash has always been a liability, and the city should not rely so much on him.”

“Okay,” Joohyun said, “then let’s not rely on him the next time someone decides to bomb the city. Let’s not rely on him the next time a burning building goes down and the firemen are two minutes too far away. Let’s not rely on him the next time there’s a gun pointed at your face and you’d rather wait for the police instead.”

She finished strongly, and though Sunyoung was supposed to be a neutral facilitator, she could not contain her smile at Joohyun’s words.

“Do you have anything to say in response to Joohyun?” Sunyoung said. 

The man paused for a second, his face rapidly reddening. 

“Vigilantes are dangerous,” the man said, “there’s been a rise of them in cities across this country, and it’s only a matter of time before they turn against us. Like what we’ve seen today with that video. We’re lucky it was only cars and windows, but next time, who knows? It might be worse.” 

“The Flash isn’t a vigilante. He’s a hero,” Joohyun said.

“No I’m not,” Sehun said watching between his fingers. 

“Yes you are,” Baekhyun said, elbowing him. 

Sehun only shook his head at the same time as the man did. 

“That’s just the narrative that’s been made for him,” the man said, “Did we forget the police officer who died while he was right there? Captain Cold affiliations? Working with Golden Glider? Those are all known criminals. Sure, maybe he wasn’t a criminal before. I’ll give him that. But those two have probably corrupted him, and he’s continuing their legacy.”

“But it’s not him,” Joohyun said. 

“How are you so sure?” the man sneered, “Why are you here anyways? You’re just an editor who edits other people’s writing. Shouldn’t the person who writes Flash articles be here instead? What’s the name of that writer that pays too much attention to the Flash…Oh Sehun? Why isn’t he here to defend the Flash? You’re not qualified.” 

A deep, ugly scowl deepened on Joohyun’s face. Sehun paused from thinking how ironic it was that his name had been thrown out on broadcast in order to wonder what she would say next. 

“I am qualified,” she said. 

“How so,” the man said.

“Because I wrote those articles,” she said. Her expression dropped for a second, looking stunned as if she realized what she had just said before she relaxed.

The man paused, tilted his head, and as if knowing the commotion and the questions that she’d cause, she continued. 

“I borrowed my best friend’s name to write articles about the Flash,” she said, “because you’re right. I’m an editor. I’m not supposed to write these articles. But I did. And this is how I know you’re wrong.” 

The man jumped in to talk, but Joohyun silenced him with a look, a raised finger, and kept going. 

“I cannot believe people like you in this city would jump at the first chance to criticize the Flash, to drag his name in the mud over nothing. Are you really all that stupid to believe a maliciously edited video? The Flash has done so much for this city, and you’d rather believe your eyes over your heart?” 

There was a certain silence that fell after Joohyun finished speaking. Sunyoung couldn’t help herself and nodded, and just as the man’s face turned redder and redder and redder, she chimed in with a smile. 

“That’s all the time we have for today, I’m afraid. Thank you for joining us, and we’ll see you again the next time,” she said before the channel cut to a commercial break. 

“See?” Baekhyun said, clutching Sehun’s shoulder and squeezing it, “I’m sure the rest of the city with common sense think the same. There’s nothing to worry about. Besides. Every hero has haters. This just means you’re important enough to be both loved and not. Don’t worry. When something bad happens, they’ll be back asking for your help.” 

Sehun shrugged. 

“I don’t care,” he said, “I don’t have time to care because…” 

He gestured vaguely towards Jongdae’s bed. 

He didn’t have time to sleep, Joohyun had to force him to eat, and he didn’t have time to do anything because he was living on Jongdae time. He awoke when the heart monitor beeped. He slept when he was too tired to keep his eyes open. He lived when Jongdae lived. He’d die if Jongdae’s heart stopped. 

Baekhyun looked away and patted Sehun’s leg. He knew. He understood.

 

  

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

The situation in Central City worsened despite everything that had happened. 

Some extreme people, haters, antis, protested in front of City Hall. Sehun passed by a protest on his way to work, and though he knew that they didn't know he was the Flash, he still looked the other way, keeping his head down, pulling his jacket closer against his body. The people jeered, chanting at the mayor to take the Flash down. Many of them had signs. 

DOWN WITH THE FLASH 

ARREST THE FLASH 

THE FLASH IS A CRIMINAL

He saw a particularly violent image of the Flash being stabbed, another image of a crowd people stomping on top of him, and another image of a cartoon version of himself with x's in his eyes. Sehun winced and hurried through the crowd. He got the message. Disappear. Go away. Leave. 

If the city didn't want him and if there weren't any other disasters or life threatening situations, then he'd stay away. He'd keep his suit in Baekhyun's closet locked up forever. He wouldn't patrol anymore. He'd keep a low profile and live his days as Sehun the writer, Sehun the— 

"Sehun!" a voice cried out amidst all the protestors. 

Sehun paused, turned around, and saw Junmyeon running towards him as best as he could given the crowd with his hand raised. 

"Junmyeon," Sehun said, sticking his hands in his pocket, "What are you doing here?" 

"I was on my way to a meeting," Junmyeon said once he reached him, "but I saw you trying to get through. They've really blocked the way, right?" 

"Yeah," Sehun said. 

"Let me help you through," Junmyeon said, raising his hands in the air and clapping them together. His bodyguards followed behind them, pushing the crowd aside. 

"Thanks," Sehun said. The bodyguards helped Sehun move through the crowd, but he frowned when he saw them shove people aside and stopped to help a woman up after she had been knocked to the ground. 

"Are you okay?" he asked. But he didn't even hear her answer because Junmyeon had swept him along. 

At this point, the crowd spotted Junmyeon and demanded him to tell his father to do something. The crowd pushed against him to get closer to Junmyeon, and Sehun let the bodyguards pull him along as he heard those taunts, those chants, those words dripping with malice. 

"Begone, Flash!" someone shrieked. 

If these people wanted him gone, then he'd be gone. 

Fine. 

But that didn't mean that the whole city hated him. Reporters like Sunyoung were fond of him and always asked if any of their social media followers had spotted the Flash recently and stated their disapproval of the climate in Central City. 

Even the mayor had given a speech at City Hall in front of the demonstrators shouting his defense of the Flash, shouting his forever belief in the Flash because he had saved him and his son. 

"You have my confidence," he bellowed into the mic, "Do not listen to those who don’t believe like I believe in you. Godspeed, Flash." 

But what did that do? 

It wasn't like anyone was particularly fond of the mayor, fond of anyone in positions of authority. 

The Flash still made headlines nowadays, but what was the point if the headlines were all bad? 

Joohyun was furious, always inside Qian's office arguing with her. But it wasn't like she could do anything about those headlines she hated. She was only an editor. Not even the editor-in-chief. 

"I should start my own newspaper," Joohyun said when she stormed back to their office and yanked back her chair before angrily sitting down. "This isn't news. It's hate.” 

"This is why I like writing my columns," Sehun said, "the middle of the newspaper, or what's inside is so much better than the front of the newspaper. Headlines always are so...messy. Who's telling the truth? Who’s not?” 

"The truth is…is that white speedster is trying to tarnish your name," Joohyun said. 

"But is he?" Sehun asked, "I don't know what he was trying to do." 

"Have you pissed off anyone lately?" Joohyun said, and then she raised her hand up, "Never mind. Your sweet self would never purposely piss someone off...But has the Flash pissed anyone off?" 

"If I failed to completely piss Captain Cold off, then I really don't know who it could be," Sehun sighed, "Everyone else is in jail. This must be someone new." 

"I didn't think there were any other people out there with your powers," Joohyun said. She was ignoring her work, the stack of papers next to her, which was unusual. Sehun didn't know what she was doing on her computer, but he heard furious typing, rapid clicking. But he could guess, and he didn't really feel like talking about the Flash. 

"I don't know," Sehun shrugged, "maybe someone else was struck by lightning on that same day." 

"But it would've been obvious," Joohyun said, "Wouldn't the hospitals have a record of that?" 

"When I was at the hospital," Sehun said, "the doctor said I was the only one he had seen." 

"Then check the other hospitals," Joohyun said, "or what if he's from out of town?" 

"If he's from out of town then why would he come to Central City?" Sehun said. 

"Maybe he's obsessed with the Flash," Joohyun said, pulling out a piece of paper and a green pen, “Let's not think like...scientists, like how Jongdae or Baekhyun would approach this. Let's think like writers." 

Sehun had no problems with that because it wasn’t like he ever actively tried to think like a scientist anyways.

"What do we know about him?" Joohyun asked, raising her pen above the paper, "What's his character like? What's he done?"

"He looks like a condom," Sehun said, "so obviously he's got no self respect."

"Baekhyun told me your first suit was like that, too," Joohyun said, shooting him a look. But she still scribbled that down.

"Yeah, but I waited until after I had a proper suit to show myself," Sehun said, "it was...embarrassing." 

"Well," Joohyun said, "he's obviously got something against the Flash. But why hate the you?" 

"What do I have that they want?" Sehun said, "any good character wants something. It doesn't even have to be anything much. But what do they want?” 

"What does the Flash have?" Joohyun said as she continued to write.

"Undeserved respect before this mess. Now unwanted hate," Sehun muttered. He pulled out his phone to text Baekhyun a request to check the hospitals for anyone else struck by lightning on the same day of the accident. 

"Maybe that's it," Joohyun said, "maybe he's just self-obsessed, and he wants the command over the city and the respect and the love that you have." 

" _Had_ ," Sehun corrected, "Had." 

"That will change," Joohyun said, looking up from the paper, "This won't last. And the people who love you outnumber the people who hate you." 

"It feels like a lot more people when they're gathered outside City Hall," Sehun said, resting his head on the table. His phone buzzed to notify him of Baekhyun’s reply. Sehun picked up his phone, surprised that Baekhyun had messaged him back so soon with the answer. He could guess how Baekhyun had found the answer to his question so quickly, but he texted back nothing but _thanks_ in case it made Baekhyun feel uncomfortable. 

"Baekhyun says that no one was checked into Central City or any surrounding cities with lightning related trauma," Sehun reported. 

"Then how did he get his speed?" Joohyun asked. 

This, neither of them could fathom because both were writers. They didn't know what type of occurrence could give someone superhuman speed.

"I don't even know how I got my speed in the first place," Sehun said, "All I know is that I should have died, but I didn't. I shouldn't have speed, but I do." 

Joohyun fell silent as she thought and gave up writing notes about the white speedster, preferring to doodle lightning bolts around the margins instead. With a pang in his heart, Sehun was reminded of Jongdae.

"What about Jongdae then?" Joohyun asked, "It sounds like a similar case." 

"Jongdae also should have died, but he didn't. He went into cardiac arrest like me, but recovered, too. And he's in a coma. Just like I was," Sehun said. 

"It sounds like when he wakes up, he'll have super speed," Joohyun said. Then her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers. 

"Ask Baekhyun to widen the date of his search. Maybe he wasn't struck the same day as you. Maybe he was struck earlier, but it took him longer to get out of his coma." 

Sehun pulled out his phone and quickly texted Baekhyun. 

"But why would he take it out on the Flash?" Sehun said after he had sent the message, "When we met, he said he wanted to destroy me." 

"He sounds like a nice guy," Joohyun said before she sighed, "But it's not like we can just ask him, right?" 

"I mean," Sehun said, "if he's a stereotypical villain, then he'll just monologue for hours and spill his whole plan, right?" 

"Have you seen him since?" Joohyun asked.

"No," Sehun said, "not even a sighting. Not even a glimpse."

"Is it too much to ask if he's disappeared for good?" Joohyun asked. 

Sehun shrugged. 

"I don't really have the energy to care too much about him anyways," Sehun said, letting out a sigh, "I only think about Jongdae. How he's doing. How I should be there beside him instead of here." 

"Isn't Baekhyun with him right now?" Joohyun asked, "He'll be fine with Baekhyun. At least he's not alone." 

"But I always wonder,” Sehun slowly continued, “what if something happens when I'm not there? What if something happens when I dare to sleep, to turn my back on him for a second?" 

"Well luckily for you," Joohyun said, "you have that second, Sehun. If anything happens, I know you'll be there before the second hand of the clock can even move." 

Sehun sighed and stared outside of the window. There were more clouds in the sky tonight, but there was no threat of rain. 

"How do you do it, Joohyun?" Sehun asked, "How do you wake up every morning knowing Seulgi's out there doing something dangerous?" 

Joohyun dropped her pen and stared outside the window, too. 

"I wake up afraid," Joohyun said, "Afraid to see her go, afraid to see someone knock on my door with bad news." 

Sehun tilted his head to peek up at her and slid his hand across the desk to put it on top of her hand.

"I'm afraid that she'll fall out of the sky when she tries flying a new plane one day. I'm afraid that she'll crash and they'll have to return her to me in pieces that I can't put back together. I'm afraid that the instant I let her leave, I send her off with a kiss, that'll be the last moment I'll have with her," Joohyun said, having to look away, look up at the light. 

"So what do you do?" Sehun asked. 

"I trust her," Joohyun said with a nod, "I trust her to come back to me. She trusts that I'll survive my mundane office life, and I trust her to survive her planes and her Air Force duties. We worry about each other of course, but we have to trust that we're each strong enough to fight anything that might separate us and that we're strong enough come back to each other at the end of the day." 

She sniffled, took a shaky breath, and Sehun plucked a tissue out of the box to give to her. She gratefully accepted it and turned away to dab her eyes. Sehun pulled his chair to sit next to her, and he felt like they were in college again, like they were studying in the library again. Except now they were older, and they had bigger problems than finals and paper deadlines. 

Joohyun opened her laptop because it was time to work again. Her screen had been open on a news site, and a particularly nasty headline was displayed about the Flash. Sehun turned away. Joohyun quickly exited out of the tab with a scowl. 

"The news does not match the opinions of the people," Joohyun said, "I know that more people love than hate you, and I hope you will remember that, too." 

But these news headlines did hurt. He couldn't deny it. As he turned away, he realized the truth. Maybe the city finally saw that he was not the hero they had believed in, not the hero they needed or wanted. Sehun always thought it was only a matter of time before the people realized that he was not who they thought he was.

And perhaps now it was time.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

A few days passed without any change. If anything, things only worsened. These days, however, Sehun heard more threats than protests against the Flash. Realistically, none of those people would be able to commit to the death threats they had made because he would be gone before they could even touch him. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid. And he was. Of course he was. But he loved more than he feared, and the more the city hated the Flash, the more he loved Jongdae and only thought about Jongdae. 

And because he loved, he would do anything for Jongdae. Anything at all, including potentially damaging his relationship with Jongdae's own idol, his own boss, the one that gave Jongdae and Baekhyun jobs, in order to hunt down that second killer no matter the cost. 

Sehun wasn’t worried about damaging his own relationship with Dr. Lee anyways, or whatever was left of it. Because they had only been acquaintances even though they had known each other for years and years. If he was honest, he never saw what Jongdae saw in him. 

"When I see him," Sehun said as he was bending down to tie his shoelaces, "do you want me to tell him that you want to skip work tomorrow, or do you want to do that yourself?" 

Baekhyun groaned, sinking into the seat of the couch as he considered Sehun’s offer. 

"You tell him," he said at last, "I don't want to tell him that to his face since I already skipped today. But do it before you ask all those...sensitive questions so he'll get mad at you, not me." 

"Fine," Sehun said, straightening up, "Any advice? I brought up the case once with him before, and it ended with me lecturing him and storming out." 

Baekhyun winced and sighed. 

"I don't know," he said, "Praise his work? Hype up his accomplishment? And then play the pity card and say it's too bad Jongdae's in a coma so he can't come to work." 

"That sounds...terrible," Sehun blinked, "No thanks." 

Why would he praise the work of someone who couldn't do his job properly? Who didn't even believe Jongdae when he talked about the second killer? And, of course, who forced Jongdae to follow such harsh schedules and make him wake up early and leave? 

"Just," Baekhyun said, making one last attempt, "Don't get us fired. I like my job. So does Jongdae. Someone has to financially support your Flash activities you know." 

"Maybe by the end of this, there won't even be a Flash," Sehun said as he pulled on his jacket, "Have you looked outside lately? The protests are still happening." 

Baekhyun grumbled, but Sehun ignored him and strode across the room where Jongdae still lay. He stared, grasping the metal railings of the bed. Jongdae would have seemed dead were it not for the steady rise and fall of his chest. His long eyelashes didn’t flutter, and he looked at peace here. At least he couldn’t remember his past when he was unconscious. 

It had been a while since the last time Jongdae went into cardiac arrest, and Sehun hoped that meant Jongdae would wake up soon. Soon. 

Sehun leaned down to kiss to Jongdae's forehead and left. 

He hadn’t used his speed outside his home in a while, and today, he refused to use it again. He wouldn’t lie. He was scared what people would do or say if they spotted the Flash again. 

But this time, he didn't take the time to walk through the city. He didn't want to see the protestors, didn't want to see a Jitter's that felt more empty despite the long line, didn't want to waste time he'd rather spend with Jongdae. So he hopped into a taxi, and ten minutes later, he was in front of the building. 

Five minutes later, he was in front of Dr. Lee's office, hand raised in front of the door, torn between knocking or barging in. Sehun wasn't scared of Dr. Lee, but he hoped to at least appeal to Dr. Lee’s good side first and knocked. 

"Yes? Who is it?" Dr. Lee said from inside the room. 

"It's me. Sehun," Sehun answered outside. 

A pause. 

A pause two seconds too long. 

"Come in, Sehun," Dr. Lee said at last.

Sehun opened the door and stood. He looked around, noticing a row of empty vials lined up on top of the desk in the back. Dr. Lee swiveled his chair, blocking them from Sehun's view. He stretched out his hand, prompting Sehun to pull out a chair and sit down in front of him. 

"How's Jongdae?" Dr. Lee asked. 

"The same," Sehun said, "unfortunately. But he hasn't gone into cardiac recently." 

"That's good," Dr. Lee nodded, "He's one of our best forensic scientists, and with Baekhyun taking breaks so often, too, it feels like we're down ten people." 

"Baekhyun told me to tell you that he won't be coming in tomorrow either," Sehun said, "We have to take care of Jongdae." 

Dr. Lee bit his lip, and Sehun waited for him to frown and tell Sehun that Baekhyun better drag himself to work tomorrow or else. But there was nothing. Dr. Lee only exhaled and nodded. 

"Very well," he said, "but when Jongdae wakes up, I hope they know they'll be doing extra shifts," Dr. Lee said. 

Sehun resisted the urge to start a confrontation here and pressed his lips together. 

"That can't be the only reason you're here," Dr. Lee said, folding his hands on the desk as he patiently waited for him to speak. 

"I…” Sehun said before he trailed off. There really was no delicate way to phrase this, so he would say whatever he wanted to say without thinking of Dr. Lee’s feelings. 

"I came here to talk about Jongdae's case again," Sehun said. Dr. Lee was unable to hide his expression and furrowed his eyebrows. Perhaps he remembered how this ended last time. 

"I see," Dr. Lee said, his previously polite tone of voice shifting into a more condescending one, "What do you want to ask?" 

"Your supervisor on that case," Sehun said, "before he relinquished full control to you...was Dr. Choi. Right?" 

"Right," Dr. Lee said, "he thought it was time I handled a big case all by myself." 

"But Dr. Choi is dead now," Sehun said. 

Dr. Lee nodded. 

"He passed a year or two ago," he said, looking away, "I was grateful he gave me the opportunity to start my career on a big case. I wouldn't be here without him."

“Is that him?” Sehun asked, pointing at a large picture of Dr. Lee and another man behind him on the wall. 

“No, that’s my brother,” Dr. Lee said, turning to look at where Sehun pointed. His expression softened. “Is that all you wanted to ask or is it time for you to l—”

"Did Dr. Choi handle some of the evidence before he passed control of the case over to you?" Sehun asked, not giving Dr. Lee a chance to kick him out yet. 

"Yes, of course," Dr. Lee said, "he always liked to personally collect evidence himself." 

Unlike Dr. Lee who liked ordering people around. 

"So," Sehun said, "is it possible that he could have tampered with the evidence? If he destroyed evidence or compromised it somehow?" 

There was no use circling around it. Sehun voiced what he suspected and watched Dr. Lee’s expression for any sign that he might be right. Dr. Lee's jaw dropped, and he raised a pointed finger at Sehun, his lips sinking into a scowl after he closed his mouth. 

"What are you trying to suggest?" Dr. Lee said, his voice barely containing the rage that threatened to spill out of his mouth.

"I'm trying to suggest," Sehun said, leaning forward, "that he tampered with the evidence, destroyed it, or did something to it before he turned the case over to you. Which is why no evidence was ever found of a second killer. Even though we all know that there's a second one."

Dr. Lee spluttered, pressing his hand to his face, shaking his head over and over again, as if he couldn't believe Sehun's words, Sehun's audacity. He glared at Sehun, looking for any sign that Sehun was joking. But Sehun wasn't joking, wasn’t anywhere near joking, and he kept his expression neutral to show that he was absolutely serious. 

"You want to accuse one of the best forensic scientists in this country's history of tampering with evidence?" Dr. Lee loudly said, "He built his career on finding the truth no matter the cost, no matter who it cost him. Don't you think that you're being a little absurd? Don’t you think you’re wrong? What provoked all of this?" 

"Someone I know mentioned that the forensics department, just like the police, has corrupt members on their team," Sehun said, crossing his arms across his chest, "And I'm not surprised. A lot of very rich people, rich criminals, rich mafia bosses could pay you, and you could make all their problems disappear. What's one fingerprint missing here? A missing knife over there? So tell me. Is it true? Did Dr. Choi destroy some evidence that could've brought Jongdae's parent's second murderer to justice?" 

Dr. Lee closed his mouth, sat back in his chair, and stared at Sehun. Sehun might have been intimidated if he actually respected Dr. Lee or if he actually felt threatened by an old man. 

"Is it true or not," Sehun said. 

" _No_ ," Dr. Lee insisted after a second. That second was enough to make Sehun doubt. "Of course not. I don't know where you heard these rumors of corruption in the forensics department, but I can assure you. It's not here. I handpick and choose the people who work under me very carefully." 

"I'm talking about the past, Dr. Lee," Sehun said, "I'm just asking if or if not Dr. Choi might have done something in the past. Maybe it was an accident. Maybe not." 

"No," Dr. Lee said, shaking his head, "I would have known. We worked together closely, and we shared the same information, the same evidence. There was nothing we didn’t share with each other. So get that idea out of your head. He was a good man who would never do any of that."

Sehun had one more question to ask, one that could potentially ruin everything, but he didn’t even wait for the moment to die, the silence to settle before he asked. 

"Then did you?" Sehun asked, watching Dr. Lee’s expression carefully, "Then was it you? Were you the one that messed with the evidence?" 

Dr. Lee, to his credit, didn't even lose his cool at these accusations. All he did was turn around, swivel in his chair, and let out a deep sigh. 

"I understand that you want to help Jongdae resolve his childhood tragedy," Dr. Lee said a little softer, "so I won't be offended by these questions and these accusations. But have you ever thought for a moment that Jongdae could be wrong? You're accusing people all on the word of a scared, traumatized child?" 

"Yeah," Sehun said. Now it was his turn to raise his voice. "That sounds exactly right. I will believe Jongdae fully before I believe you. You’ll have to take me back to that night and show me exactly what happened to prove that you’re right. I’ll have to see with my own eyes that there was only one murderer, not two, and I will have to hear one voice, not two, before you can convince me to give up on Jongdae and stop believing him. So answer me again. Did you or did you not tamper with evidence on the scene of the crime?" 

Dr. Lee was there first, so it made sense, as he had time to do what he needed to do before the rest of forensics and the police appeared. It would have been easy for him to distract the two policemen who accompanied him as well, since there had been another body outside he could have sent them to investigate.

"No," Dr. Lee shook his head, "sorry to disappoint you. It seems you're willing to give Jongdae his closure at any cost. Even if the closure is based on a lie." 

Sehun ignored that and continued thinking. If it wasn't Dr. Lee, wasn't Dr. Choi by themselves then could it be...

"Okay then did you work together and tamper the evidence?" Sehun asked.

"That's enough," Dr. Lee finally snapped at Sehun, using his cane to push himself up and out of his chair, "I will not sit here and listen to you accuse me of all these things any longer. It would be the same as if I sat in front of you and accused you of plagiarism. Do you want me to do that?" 

"You can run plagiarism checks through software," Sehun responded, "but you can't recover lost evidence or tell what's been damaged because you are the system." 

Dr. Lee pointed at the door.

"Get out before I lose my temper," he said.

"If you say you didn't, then why are you so angry?" Sehun asked, standing up, gesturing at Dr. Lee’s face, "Why is your face red, your lips pulled down into a scowl? Why are you like this if you're supposedly innocent?" 

"I am the world's best forensic scientist," Dr. Lee said through gritted teeth, "I worked so hard to get there, and I will not have my whole career verbally dismantled because of you and your doubt, you and your questioning. Now go before I call security and have them escort you out." 

Sehun stared a moment longer before heading for the door. 

"Let’s say you didn't," Sehun said, his hand on the doorknob, "then nothing's wrong. No harm’s done. I’ll apologize and take back everything I said. But if you or Dr. Choi did?" 

"We didn't," Dr. Lee said. 

"If you _did_ ," Sehun said, "then I will call the police, and I will have you fired so you will never be able to work anywhere again. I will write articles about you and release them everywhere, so everyone will know the truth. Have you been paying attention to what they’re saying nowadays? The city turned on the Flash for a badly edited video that he wasn’t even in. So what will they do to you for the truth?" 

Dr. Lee's expression contorted, and he opened his mouth to say something. But Sehun didn’t want to hear it and left, slamming the door behind him. 

Sehun strode down the hallways, struggling to keep a normal pace. It would have been easy to sprint back home in a second and tell Baekhyun what he found. Or rather, what he didn't find. 

But hypothetically, if Dr. Lee or Dr. Choi had been involved, then what would’ve been their motive? Money? That had to be it, right? Everyone had a price, and it was only a matter of how much money was offered before someone did something they swore they'd never do. 

Sehun turned around after he pressed the elevator button just in time to see a trail of white light disappear into the stairwell, the door slamming out of nowhere. Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s lab was empty, and not many other people were on this floor. Sehun struggled to stay calm, walking down the hallway to check if Dr. Lee had seen what he had just seen. But once he reached Dr. Lee’s office, the door swung open as he lightly pushed it, revealing the drawers open, the empty vials gone, and the photographs smashed on the floor.

Sehun froze. 

There were a few very logical explanations that could explain this. 

Dr. Lee knew more than he let on. Dr. Lee panicked and ran after Sehun had asked him about the case. Dr. Lee was involved and had covered up the evidence. 

And Dr. Lee was the white speedster.

Sehun took one final glance at the disheveled office before he raced back to Baekhyun, not caring which cameras might have caught him. He was breathless as he stumbled back into his apartment. Baekhyun, who had been sitting beside Jongdae, stood up in alarm and rushed to him. 

"Hey, hey," Baekhyun said as Sehun unleashed a hailstorm of words, tripping over sentences and choking on phrases. To himself, he was making perfect sense. But to Baekhyun, Sehun was speaking at a million miles an hour. "Slow down. What happened?" 

Sehun took a breath, his chest heaving, and sank into the chair that Baekhyun helped him into. And tried. To slow. Down. But electricity still crackled out of his words, and no matter how hard he tried to pace himself, he failed. Within seconds, he began to phase from where he sat, his shoulders blurring. 

“ _Sehun_ ,” Baekhyun said, grabbing at Sehun’s shoulders, only to touch nothing. Sehun took a deep breath and slowed down. 

“Dr. Lee,” Sehun said, fingers running through his hair, “he…” 

“He what?” Baekhyun said, managing to finally grab onto Sehun’s shoulders, “He _what_?” 

“I just,” Sehun said, chest rising up and down, up and down. His chest felt tight, so he glanced at the heart monitor and breathed a little easier when he saw Jongdae’s pulse flashing on the screen. “I asked him about the tampered evidence.” 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, but before he could ask, Sehun hurried onwards. 

“He denied everything, denied Dr. Choi having anything to do with it either, but just as I was leaving, I saw a white streak exit the stairs. And that’s when I found Dr. Lee’s office empty, completely cleaned out,” Sehun finished. 

Baekhyun began pacing around, hands covering half of his face, repeating the same three words over and over again. 

 _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh mY—_

“Please tell me he isn’t who I think he is,” Sehun said, “Please tell me that the man Jongdae spent half his life looking up to wasn’t the same man who hurt him, caused him to end up like _this_.” 

Baekhyun finally covered the rest of his face and hid his expression in his hands. He took a deep breath, exhaling loudly before he looked up at Sehun. The weight of the past moments combined with this new knowledge had taken its toll, manifesting on his weary expression. Puffy eyelids. Red, bloodshot eyes. Dark circles. Disheveled hair. 

“There has to be a better explanation,” Baekhyun shook his head, “no…he’s had a bad leg forever. He can’t even walk, let alone run without his cane.” 

“He could’ve been pretending,” Sehun said before lowering his voice, “But what if he really was involved with tampering the evidence?” 

Baekhyun sank to the floor and hunched his shoulders over. 

“I can’t believe that,” he said, “Jongdae and I...we thought we were learning from the best forensic scientist. If he really did that, then…” 

“This is too much,” Sehun said and reached for Jongdae because he felt so lost. His thumb stroked the skin of Jongdae’s hand, and Sehun fought for every breath, breathing in when Jongdae breathed in, breathing out when Jongdae breathed out. 

“Okay,” Baekhyun said at last, “let’s just…say Dr. Lee is the white speedster. And he happened to be responsible for losing the second killer. Now what. What do we even do with that?”

“Well we know where he works,” Sehun said, “and you can find where he lives. We'll…” 

But then what? 

What then?

What could they even do? They had no proof, only what they saw, what they suspected. 

“Can you check the camera footage to see if they picked up anything?” Sehun asked. 

Baekhyun looked up at Sehun with a stricken look. Sehun expected a no, but Baekhyun exhaled and ran to grab his laptop. 

“It’s only for Jongdae, it’s only for Jongdae, it’s only for Jongdae,” he muttered as he opened his laptop and typed some things Sehun didn’t understand. Baekhyun’s eyebrows knitted together and he sucked in a deep breath as he worked. Seconds later, he retrieved security footage of the hallway. 

“It’s…blank,” Baekhyun said, a frown appearing on his face, “That can’t be…” 

He searched through the camera footage, only to find nothing. Whoever was there must have looped the footage to make it seem like the hallway was completely empty. Baekhyun didn’t hesitate this time and checked the security footage around the surrounding areas. 

“There’s nothing,” Baekhyun said, “he must’ve deleted the footage and looped the same clip on all the cameras after he left.” 

“So it really is him,” Sehun said, “Dr. Lee is the speedster.” 

Baekhyun lifted his hands away from the keyboard and shut his computer. 

“Jongdae is going to lose it when he wakes up,” Baekhyun said, “I don’t think he’ll care if it’s Dr. Lee. He’s going to kill him.” 

Sehun looked across the room to make sure Jongdae was still there with them. He wondered if he could hear what they were talking about, if Jongdae’s unconscious was screaming at his body to wake up, to wake up so he could demand an answer from Dr. Lee about the second killer, so he could tear Dr. Lee apart for what he had done to his family, and so he could come back to Sehun. 

“Then I guess we’ll make a plan,” Sehun said, “to take down Dr. Lee before he can do anymore damage to the city and to acquire proof that he’s guilty.” 

“And how he’s the one that blamed you for the things you didn’t do,” Baekhyun said before adding, “as the Flash.” 

“That’s less important,” Sehun said, “Let’s just…focus on locating him. We have the advantage because he doesn’t know that we know his secret.” 

“Alright,” Baekhyun nodded, “You and me…let’s take down that bitch.” 

Before Sehun could even attempt to smile, the heart monitor began to incessantly beep. Baekhyun and Sehun exchanged one, panicked look before they rushed over. 

Jongdae’s heart had stopped. 

It didn’t matter how many times Sehun saw the flat line. He still screamed every time, felt tears sting his eyes every time. 

“What do we do?” Sehun asked, “Do we wait or do we pull out the defibrillators?”

“Just pull out the defibrillators,” Baekhyun said. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the defibrillators. Sehun obeyed and pulled the blanket down, all but ripping Jongdae’s shirt apart. Baekhyun ordered Sehun to charge it to a certain level, and Sehun obeyed, struggling to see through his tears. 

“Clear!” Baekhyun said and slammed the paddles on Jongdae’s chest. Jongdae’s body jerked, but there was nothing. Nothing at all. Just that same, straight green line. 

“Again,” Baekhyun said. As Sehun increased the charge, he really had to admire how composed he was.

“Clear!” Baekhyun shouted, sending Jongdae’s body jerking harder from that extra force. 

But nothing. 

Sehun sobbed and tried his best not to fall to his knees. 

“Again,” Baekhyun said after staring for a second, his voice slightly cracking, “Let’s do it again, Sehun.” 

Again and again and again, they tried to bring Jongdae back. They injected him with adrenaline, tried the defibrillators again. But the green line remained flat, and Sehun was past the point of panicking. Now there were only tears, only grief. 

“I can’t,” Sehun said, his shoulders shaking as he cried, “We can’t lose him, Baekhyun.” 

His view of Baekhyun disappeared as the lights blacked out, plunging the room into a darkness that devoured everything. Sehun could imagine Baekhyun blankly staring at Jongdae’s body as if he couldn’t process what had happened, as if he was trying to convince himself that Jongdae was only taking a long nap. 

“Do we take him back?” Sehun frantically asked, fumbling for the railing of the bed to support himself, “back to the hospital? Will that help? Do they have some technology that we don’t have?” 

“No, I don’t think so,” Baekhyun said. The power surged back on, illuminating Baekhyun’s stricken expression again. “Remember last time? They wanted to…pronounce him dead. Just when he looked like this.” 

“Then what now?” Sehun asked. 

“Now we wait,” Baekhyun said, dropping to his knees. “Now we wait and hope.” 

Sehun pulled a chair next to Jongdae, reaching out to hold his hand as he cried. He silently pleaded over and over and over again for Jongdae to come back to him. He always did. Jongdae always did. Always, always, always. So he could come back from this. This was nothing. Cardiac arrest? Jongdae could walk this off.

This was what Sehun told himself as he tried to hold on, pressing his lips together to try and stop himself from crying. Baekhyun had slumped into the seat beside him, his head bowed. 

But after an hour of nothing, absolutely no change, Sehun finally lost it, gave up trying to suppress his tears and loudly cried, gasping for air. An hour to Sehun felt like a thousand years, and he could no longer wait a second more. He quickly stood up, shaking Jongdae’s shoulders as he wept.

“Please…” Sehun said through his tears, “Jongdae, _please_ …You can’t leave us. _Please_.”

But he had left Sehun many times. Left him for college, left for one whole summer when he was fourteen because his aunt wanted him to visit his grandparents, left him every morning when he had to go to work. 

But he always came back. 

So why hadn’t he woken up yet? He was supposed to stir from his sleep, his heart bursting and pounding from his chest. He was supposed to wake up with lightning crackling from his fingertips, with speed just like Sehun’s. 

He wasn’t supposed to go now.

Not in his sleep. 

Not without a chance to fight back. 

Not like this.

Sehun felt something churning inside of him. Maybe it was the pit in his stomach, maybe it was the lightning threatening to explode from his body. He paced around, waiting for Jongdae’s heart to come back. 

With tears on Sehun’s cheeks, he tore open the curtains to stare out at the horizon to clear his head. Those familiar lights. That familiar skyline with twinkling stars. Tonight, rain spilled out from the gray clouds that cluttered and clung to the horizon. Below, taxis crawled along the streets, their yellow hoods offering a splash of color against the dark night. 

If Sehun blinked, he would have missed it. 

A white streak blurring through the streets. 

Sehun stared, his heart feeling like it had stopped, his breath strangled in his throat. If he didn’t breathe, would he join Jongdae now? Sehun watched the blur zoom through the streets for a second longer before he took a deep breath and turned around with clenched fists. 

“Take care of him,” Sehun said, brushing the last tears from his cheeks. 

He disappeared into Baekhyun’s spare room, jammed in all the necessary passcodes, and wrenched open the closet. There his suit hung, just like he remembered it. He stared at that familiar red color, that lightning bolt on the middle of his chest. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he had worn the suit, and he hadn’t planned on ever wearing it again. Because he was afraid. But he loved Jongdae more than he feared anything, so he snatched it off the mannequin and strode out. 

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun said, quickly standing up when he saw what Sehun held in his hand. 

“I will drag Dr. Lee to the police station for what he did to Jongdae,” Sehun said. He wasn’t thinking straight, wasn’t thinking of all. Because if he stopped to think, he would’ve remembered they had no evidence, nothing at all that would even grant him a warrant. But he didn’t. Think. 

No, he only had time to feel. 

And right now, with Jongdae’s heart still out, someone needed to pay for this. 

And that someone was Dr. Lee. 

The white speedster, the forensic scientist who had tampered with evidence, the man who had hurt Jongdae. 

So Sehun, no matter the cost, was going to bring him to justice. 

“Wait,” Baekhyun said as he bolted towards Sehun, pressing a hand against his chest to stop him, “Let’s slow down for a second…I don’t think that sounds like the best idea right now. I mean we—” 

“It’s the only idea I have right now,” Sehun said, brushing past Baekhyun to stand at Jongdae’s bedside again. “Someone has to pay for this.” 

“But he’s _dangerous_ ,” Baekhyun said, “You…look at you. You really think you can fight anyone when you look like this? Feel like this?” 

Sehun glared. He had thought he had brushed the last of his tears away, but his cheeks were still damp. 

He was never good at running on hate, running on anger. He ran with his heart, and his heart would’ve stayed with Jongdae. His mind wanted blood, justice, retribution, so maybe this time, his problem was that he was running with his mind, not his heart. 

Sehun turned back to Baekhyun and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Don’t give up,” Sehun said, “keep trying. Wait with Jongdae until his heart comes back.” 

With that, he changed into his Flash suit, throwing it on before his other clothes could even hit the ground. The suit felt tighter than usual, like it was suffocating him.

“Sehun,” Baekhyun said in a small voice as he stared, “Please don’t . What am I going to tell Jongdae if he wakes up? That I just…let you run after someone dangerous while you were like this?” 

“When,” Sehun firmly said, “ _When_ he wakes up. But don’t worry. You won’t have to explain because I’ll be back before you can even blink.” 

He leaned forwards to hug Baekhyun and refused to listen to the protests that Baekhyun threw at him. Tonight he’d catch that speedster. Tonight, he’d catch Dr. Lee and drop him in front of the police station, all bloody, all beaten. Tonight he’d force the truth out of him and establish once and for all that Jongdae was right. That there had been a second killer. 

Sehun stood beside Jongdae once again. He ignored the way Jongdae looked so still, the way Jongdae’s heart had not yet started beating again, and leaned down to kiss his forehead. When he stood, his lips were tingling. Perhaps it was the lightning urging him to run. Sehun took one last look at his family and left, feeling the lightning thrum in his body as he ran. 

It didn’t take Sehun long to find the speedster, and after ten seconds of checking every street, every corner, every alleyway, Sehun had found him. It took him one second to skid to a stop while he stared at the white blur to make sure his mind hadn’t imagined this. Half a second to dig his heels into the ground and take off. Less than that to catch up to the speedster. 

Sehun ran side by side with the speedster, running faster, running harder when he heard a low chuckle, distorted by the voice modifier. Sehun followed the speedster, not yet acting because he was worried about potentially harming the civilians around them. But he knew this city well, and as soon as they passed by a familiar street, Sehun grabbed him by the neck with a yell and shoved him into an alley. 

The speedster finally stopped, stumbling from the force of Sehun’s push. Lightning crackled from Sehun’s fist as he stalked closer to him. 

“What’s this about?” the speedster said. The distortion on his voice would have been scary, the dark lenses covering his eyes scarier, but Sehun was not afraid. 

“You hurt a civilian,” Sehun said, “On the day you created that storm. He was struck by lightning.” 

“What?” the speedster said, hands on his hips, his voice sounding like a low rumble. Then he snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah! Him. You’re really upset over one civilian death?” 

“He’s not _dead_ ,” Sehun shouted. He was a foot away from the speedster, struggling to keep his clenched fists by his sides clenched. “But I’m taking you to the police. You need to answer to your crimes, and you can’t hurt anyone else like that again.” 

“You’ll have to catch me first,” the speedster smiled, the dark hole on his face twisting up to resemble a smile. “And for that civilian? If he’s not dead, I hope he dies soon.”

With a scream, Sehun launched himself at the speedster and threw the first punch. 

Anyone who was there to watch would’ve seen streaks of red and white light colliding against each other, each color, each light threatening to consume the other before electricity crackled, and they were thrown back from each other. 

“Sounds to me like you’re just guilty someone jumped in front of you to save you,” the speedster laughed.

Sehun swiped a punch at him, only for the man to dodge out of the way with another laugh.

“ _No_ ,” Sehun could only scream. If he thought he was bad at fighting on an average day, he was even worse now. Seulgi would’ve killed him if she saw what sloppy technique he was displaying. None of his blows were landing, and he was hit more often than he hit. 

“You just don’t want to admit it,” the speedster said, dodging all of Sehun’s attacks, “You’re the guilty one. You have all the speed in the world, but you couldn’t see that lightning bolt coming? You couldn’t even push that person out of the way? You’re supposed to be a hero, but you let someone else die for you? This is your fault.” 

Sehun was overcome by grief, and for a second, the thought of Jongdae actually dead poisoned his mind and caused his shoulders to shake. 

“Why the fuck are you crying?” the speedster said, pulling Sehun up before punching him. Sehun stumbled, falling to the ground. “What type of weak hero cries for someone they don’t even know?” 

Sehun tried to pull himself upwards, but he couldn’t. All he could do was cover his face with his hands, suddenly imagining himself looking at Jongdae’s body as he lay in the casket, dressing in black with his family at a funeral, crying as the coffin was lowered into the ground.

Sehun could not fathom life without Jongdae, could not fathom living at all without him. Who was he without Jongdae? With a scream, Sehun hurled himself at the speedster once again, throwing everything he had into his punches. 

“You know,” the speedster said, dodging every blow effortlessly, “I was about to cause some chaos so you would be forced to come out of hiding to save the city. But I didn’t know all it’d take was the death of one civilian for you to come out and play. I have big plans for you, Flash.” 

“If he dies,” Sehun said getting to his feet and pushing the speedster to the wall. He pressed his arm across the speedster’s neck, tempted to choke him, but he needed him alive so he could take him to the police station. “His blood will be on your hands, and there will be no place you can run where you will be safe from me.” 

The speedster’s mouth twisted up into a grin again, and he rolled his head to the side, letting out a deep, distorted, mechanical laugh. 

“When he dies,” the speedster said, swiping his feet under Sehun’s, sending Sehun falling to the ground again, “remember that it was your fault.” 

Sehun saw the kick coming but was too weak, too emotional to do anything but let out as a groan as he was struck again and again until the city’s lights around him faded to black.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun awoke some time later, groaning as he clutched his head. As he pulled himself up into a sitting position, his hands felt the material of his suit. At least his cowl was at still on. After a few moments of trying to recover, Sehun looked around him. 

It seemed he was in someone’s bedroom. There was a single bed behind him, a chest of drawers to his right, a mirror to his left, and a bathroom and a shower was connected to the room. But it was only a spare bedroom, evident as Sehun checked to find the drawers empty and the sheets not even wrinkled but rather slightly dusty from lack of use. 

This spare bedroom was his prison. A net of what looked like fiery lasers was draped on the walls, and a whole wall of lasers stood in front of Sehun, allowing him access to only half of the whole room. Beyond the net was a single door. His way out. 

Sehun held his head again, trying to shake the dizziness before stumbling around. He held onto the bedposts to steady himself, and when he felt slightly better, he walked to the front of the room, stopping in front of the pattern of lasers. They weren’t thin enough for him to slip a hand or even a finger through, but maybe it was possible for him to phase through. 

Right? 

Sehun raised his hand, vibrated it so fast it became a blur, and slowly inched forwards to the lasers, curious to see if he could escape this way. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a metallic voice said as the front door swung open. Sehun stopped, his hand falling to his side as the white speedster returned. He kept his costume on and walked in front of Sehun until only the wall of lasers separated them. 

“These lasers will cut your hand off if you even try to touch it,” the speedster said, “Watch.” 

He raced in and out of the room to bring a piece of paper, and before Sehun could speak, he held it against the lasers. Instantly, it was cut into half, its edges burnt and singed. 

“I’ll phase my way through,” Sehun said as he watched the burnt paper float to the ground after the speedster dropped it, “Just like I can vibrate through walls, I’ll vibrate through this. You can’t keep me in here,” Sehun said. He raised his arm and vibrated it so it looked like a blur. 

“If you want to lose an arm, then go right ahead,” the speedster said, “these lasers are designed to vibrate at your exact frequency. Even if you think you can phase through it, they’ll still cut you. I doubt you have the ability to regrow limbs.” 

Sehun lowered his hand again. There was a very good chance that the speedster could be lying again, but Sehun wasn’t exactly willing to risk his hand after seeing what the lasers had done to a piece of paper. 

“Why are you keeping me here? Where are we?” Sehun asked again. 

Dr. Lee’s basement? 

“I told you. I have big plans for you,” the speedster said, “And don’t worry. I’m not a barbarian, so you won’t starve to death. I even set you up with a bed and a bathroom. You’re welcome.” 

No…Sehun couldn’t stay here. If the man was talking about starving him, then how long would he be here? He had to get back to Jongdae.

Sehun vibrated in place as he considered his situation. Would he believe this person? Was he just taunting him? But the more Sehun tried to use his speed, the more lightheaded he felt. He finally gave up, almost stumbling to the floor as he panted hard. 

The man in front of him tilted his head and let out a gravelly laugh. 

"I wouldn't use your speed in here either," the man said, "the more you use your speed, the more oxygen you need, right? This room was designed with thinner oxygen levels that I can control. If you don't want to suffocate here, I suggest you act like you don't have any powers." 

This man would have had to specially design this place with the intention of imprisoning someone who could run through walls. That would take money. Time. Intelligence. How long had this been planned? 

"Where am I?" Sehun asked at last, giving up his attempts to escape for now to focus on breathing. He felt that it was physically harder to breathe after learning the truth about the room. "Where did you take me?" 

"Somewhere the rest of the world will never find you," the speedster said. 

Sehun looked around again and gestured at the bed.

"This looks like someone's home. Are you sure you didn't just stick me in the basement of some suburban house?" Sehun asked before lowering his voice, "Is this your...house?" 

The speedster crossed his arms across his chest.

"Did you want me to move you to a warehouse?" the man said. 

"I don't know," Sehun shrugged, "I just thought for an evil guy like you, your lair wouldn't look like this." 

"I'm not evil," the speedster said with a shake of his head. His voice was still distorted. "Not even close to it. You and I, we just have different ways of getting what we want." 

"What do you want?" Sehun asked. 

"I'm disappointed, Flash," the speedster said, clucking his tongue, "I would've thought you figured everything out by now." 

"Yeah, yeah...you want to take the city from me," Sehun said, "but you never said why. Who even are you?" 

Even though he knew this was Dr. Lee, he didn't want to give up this information yet. Perhaps it would be more advantageous to pretend he didn’t know. 

"No, no, I should be asking you that, Flash," the speedster said, "who are you?" 

Sehun blurred his face on instinct, causing the man to let out a metallic laugh. 

"Oh, don't worry," the speedster said, "I didn't look. Yet. I had every opportunity to rip off your mask and see your face for myself, but I didn't. I felt that would be too unfair. I want you to see it coming. I want you to take it off yourself and show me." 

"Why would I do that?" Sehun blinked, "Why would I ever do that?" 

Then he remembered how the room was designed and stopped blurring his face. Luckily, he hadn’t used his speed for very long so he only had to take a few quick shallow breaths to recover. 

"Oh, you will," the speedster cheerfully said. Sehun couldn't remember when Dr. Lee sounded like this, but he supposed he had hidden much from him, from Jongdae, from Baekhyun, from the rest of the world. "I will destroy you, Flash, and I want you to know there was nothing you could do stop me. You'll reveal yourself to me because you want to. You'll let me have the city because you want to. You'll let me destroy you because you want me to." 

Sehun hadn’t been trapped here for very long, so his spirit had not broken yet. He might have been standing still, electricity and sparks still crackled in his words. 

"You know," Sehun began to say, his tone relaxing, "I would really take you more seriously if you didn't look like a fucking condom." 

The speedster paused. A deep black scowl twisted his mouth downwards. That seemed to strike a bad note on him, as he strode out of the room before returning to roughly drag a TV in front of Sehun. He jammed the plugs into the wall and flipped to a familiar local news channel. At least that meant they were still in the city. 

"I imagine it will get boring when you're here for who knows how long," the speedster said, "I've given you no clock, so what is time for people like us? Seconds feel like hours, hours feel like years, years feel like eternity. You're lucky I'm giving you something to occupy your mind with. It'll keep you updated with the outside world, too. Watch the screen, Flash. Because the world's watching you." 

With that, he sped away. Sehun waited a few minutes to see if he’d return, but after it seemed like he was finally alone, he sat down by the floor and resigned himself to watching the TV because there was nothing else to do. He didn’t know what time it was, but the words BREAKING NEWS had appeared on the screen before the broadcast switched to live footage of Sunyoung standing outside of a street.

As she spoke, the wind blew against her hair. The mayor stood next to her holding an umbrella to protect them both from the light rain and gravely stared into the camera. 

“We are live on the intersection of First and Main Street,” she said, “where a massive five car collision carrying Central City’s politicians has just occurred. The mayor was traveling in the last car, so he was fortunately unharmed. As of now, there are no casualties. Here is the mayor with some words.”

She passed the mic to the mayor, and he cleared his throat before he spoke. 

“We were driving at a decent speed,” the mayor said. Sehun knew from his tone of voice that the mayor would shift accountability onto someone else within the next few seconds. “Because it was raining. Even though we wanted nothing more than to go home after holding one of our longer meetings. But out of nowhere, this large truck appeared, swerving onto our side of the road. Just like that, our first car was hit badly. The second one couldn’t stop in time, and the rest followed like a chain reaction.” 

“Are your people okay?” Sunyoung asked. 

The mayor took a deep breath and exhaled. 

“My son has been injured and is receiving treatment in an ambulance. Several other politicians have been taken to the hospital,” the mayor said.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sunyoung said. 

“We ask for your prayers and thoughts for our people who have been injured. Godspeed, Central City,” he said. With one final nod, he passed the mic to Sunyoung and departed. 

Sunyoung continued to talk, reporting the facts that were known, that weren’t known for a few more moments until it was time for the news segment to end.

“Good night, Central City,” she said, “Please remember to stay safe.” 

Before her camerawoman could stop filming, a low, distorted voice uttered a single word. 

“ _Wait_.” 

Sehun quickly shot off the ground and sat as close to the laser beams as he dared. 

The white speedster had approached Sunyoung, but instead of revealing himself, he blurred his body, especially his face, so he couldn’t be seen. Of course he would. With a costume like that, who would want to appear on live television? 

“Yes?” Sunyoung said, gesturing for the camera to keep rolling. Sehun really admired Sunyoung’s bravery. She never ran away from a bomb, from a fire, and now, even this figure.

“I heard you’re one of the people who support the Flash,” the speedster said, “Would you like to know where he is?” 

Sunyoung’s expression instantly brightened. 

“Yes!” she smiled, “Do you know where he is? Is he okay?” 

“I am sorry to tell you this,” he said, “but he’s dead.” 

Sunyoung snatched the mic back.

“I don’t believe you,” she said, tossing her hair back as the wind blew through it, “Where’s your proof?” 

“Only my word I’m afraid,” the speedster said, “But he’s dead. It’s time for the city to move on.” 

“And who are you?” Sunyoung asked before her eyes narrowed, “Are you the one in the video? The one that smashed up the windows and the cars? It wasn’t the Flash, right? You’re also a speedster, right? It was you. Right?” 

“A lot of questions,” the speedster let out a dark chuckle, “but I’m afraid that really was the Flash. He was out of control, so I stopped him. Unfortunately, he fell off and into the ocean before I could get him the help he needed. But I am here to undo the damage the Flash has done. Don’t worry.” 

Sehun wanted to laugh. Who the fuck would believe such a ridiculous story? But then he held his tongue and remembered what the city had done over an edited video depicting much less. 

“I can’t believe that,” Sunyoung said. 

“You’re a reporter,” the speedster said, “you’re not allowed to believe. You’re only allowed to report the facts. What happened. What didn’t happen. And I’m telling you that the Flash is dead, and the next time something happens, the only person coming to save you is me. Not him. You’ll see. Now go on and tell the rest of the world.” 

He patted her shoulder before speeding off, sending a gust of wind that blew Sunyoung’s hair back. Sunyoung instead turned to the camera, doing her best to keep her expression neutral. 

“Grave news from this new, white speedster who believes that the Flash is dead,” she said.

Then the footage cut to a sequence of commercials, and Sehun was left with his thoughts. So this was the speedster’s plan. Keep Sehun here for what…forever? And pretend he was dead? The speedster had wanted to take the Flash’s place, but in announcing his intention, had inadvertently revealed and confirmed his own existence. People like Sunyoung would be smart enough to realize that he was the one smashing cars in that video, no matter what excuse he gave. 

Advertisements continued to blare from the TV. Car advertisements. Restaurant advertisements. There was even an insurance advertisement with a man wearing some suit decorated with weather patterns. 

“We cover anything at all!”

“Earthquakes!” 

“Floods!” 

“Fire!” 

“Lightning!” 

“Yes, even lightning! The odds of being struck by lightning are so slim that some insurance companies won’t even cover it! But don’t you worry! If you’re one of those people lucky…or unlucky we should say…enough to beat those slim odds, then we’ll cover it!” 

Sehun turned his back to the TV, pressing his fingers to his ears and shutting his eyes, suddenly remembering the images of Jongdae struck by lightning, Jongdae falling again, Jongdae motionless in bed, Jongdae’s heart monitor flat lining. 

God…where was Jongdae now? Was his heart still gone? Sehun knew Baekhyun would not give up on Jongdae unless he really was…dead. 

What if he had finally woke up? Sehun needed to be there for Jongdae when he woke up, and he couldn’t imagine how worried Jongdae would be when he opened his eyes and found Sehun gone. Taken. 

Sehun glanced around him, testing the lasers one more time. He pressed the corner of a bed sheet to the lasers on the wall, only to quickly pull it back after it became singed. Okay. Bad idea. 

Sehun lay back down on the bed, staring up at the lasers on the ceiling as he began thinking of any ways to escape from here. He had to get back to the city before the speedster destroyed it, back to his job before he was fired or before he was announced dead, back before Baekhyun and Joohyun worried, and especially back before Jongdae would wake up.

Because he would. 

He would wake up. 

He had to.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun didn’t remember trying to sleep, but the next morning, he woke up beneath the blankets. Stretching, he blinked, remembering only know where he was. He stared at the lasers, the drawers, the mirror, the TV before finding a plate of eggs and a daily newspaper on the floor next to the wall of lasers. 

Sehun stretched and walked across the small space to pick up the newspaper. He supposed it was a coincidence that it happened to be the Central City Times. He then turned his attention to the eggs after his stomach growled and wondered if they were poisoned. With his metabolism, he would die in no time if he didn’t eat.

But the speedster had said he had big plans for Sehun, so it would do him no good to starve or poison him. Despite his better judgment, Sehun picked up a fork and began to eat while glancing at the headlines of the newspaper.

 

MASSIVE CAR CRASH LANDS 5 POLITICIANS IN HOSPITAL

 

Sehun scanned the article, letting out a long exhale when it seemed the situation hadn’t ended in any fatalities. One politician had been in critical condition but was stable now. With nothing else to do and the TV still running advertisements, Sehun read every article in the newspaper.

Sehun read through his own column, entertained by how it was still published even though he was here. He had about three or five more articles waiting to be published before Qian would call, demanding where he had gone and why he hadn’t submitted anything. Baekhyun would probably use the grief excuse, the Jongdae-is-in-a-fucking-coma excuse. But how long would that last before he’d get fired or suspended or someone would file a missing person’s report?

He turned the page to see an editorial and stared at the headline.

 

THE FLASH IS NOT DEAD

 

Sehun laughed despite himself when he checked the author’s name.

 

By: Oh Sehun

 

Even if he was gone, it seemed Joohyun wouldn’t stop writing under his name. Even though the article was about the Flash, Sehun enjoyed reading it because he had always enjoyed reading Joohyun’s writing. 

 _So someone who looks exactly like the speedster smashing up cars in the video appears yesterday and announces the Flash’s death. Suddenly you want to believe him? Where’s the body? Where’s the proof? I refuse to believe that the Flash is dead, and this seems like a part of some elaborate scheme designed to make us give up on the Flash. Again. I believe in the Flash, and the rest of this city should, too. We only recognize one speedster in Central City, and he is The Flash. He will come back in no time. I’m sure of it._  

Sehun smiled and placed his finger over his name before he reread the title. Baekhyun must have told her by now…that Sehun had run out in the middle of the night and not returned. He couldn’t imagine how much they were worrying. 

On Saturdays and Sundays when Sehun didn’t have to go to work, he liked walking outside, exploring new restaurants, sitting around the park. Lying in bed with Jongdae. Playing games with Baekhyun. Going to the movies with Joohyun. 

So when he had all the time in the world with only a TV that played the news to entertain him, he was absolutely bored. With this much time on his hands, Sehun tried to create an escape plan. He couldn’t use his speed, or at least for prolonged intervals, or he’d suffocate. And he didn’t have enough scientific knowledge to disrupt the lasers or stop them. He examined every corner of the room, hoping to find even a centimeter that wasn’t touched by the lasers. But there was nothing, no hole, no way out he could find. 

Sehun couldn’t determine how the speedster was controlling the oxygen levels in the room, but it wasn’t like he could figure out how to reverse that even if he did. If Baekhyun were here, he’d build some contraption using nothing more than the fork, some bed sheets, and a piece of wood from the bed. But he wasn’t. So Sehun tried everything he could think of. 

Which, for now, was phasing through the floor to see if there was a way out. But he had phased too far and had to claw his way back up or he’d be stuck in the ground. When he reached the room again, he gasped from the lack of oxygen and slumped on the floor, trying to catch his breath with what little oxygen was available. Perhaps he was in someone’s basement. 

“I told you to not use your speed. You don’t listen,” a voice said as the door opened. Sehun turned his head, still too tired to pull himself up off of the ground. He saw the speedster’s legs, restricted by that white, spandex passing material and moved his gaze upwards to find the speedster’s face twisted into another smile. 

“You finished all the food I gave you,” the speedster said, “good. That’s the only meal you’ll get for the day. I doubt you’ll stay in one place if I lower the lasers to give you your food. It’d only take a second for you to escape. I know.” 

“How did you get your powers?” Sehun asked instead through heavy breaths, “I didn’t know there was anyone else like me. Was it the lightning, too?” 

“Lightning?” the speedster said, tilting his head, “Is that how you got your powers? No, that’s not how I got mine.” 

“Then how?” Sehun asked, finally managing to pull himself up. 

“Less about me,” the speedster said. Sehun resisted the urge to spit out the speedster’s true name. Dr. Lee. “More about you. How about you take off your mask and show me who you are?” 

“No,” Sehun said, blurring his face again. 

“Do it,” the speedster ordered, “or people will be hurt.” 

“No,” Sehun said again. But he paused. What people? The people from Central City? Were there hostages? 

“I’m giving you one last chance,” the speedster said, “Do it.” 

“No,” Sehun said. 

The speedster shrugged. 

“Fine. Have it your way,” the speedster said as he paced around the room, “I could have just ripped off your hood and seen your face for myself, but I like it better this way. I’ve placed bombs around the city, so reveal yourself to me or I’ll blow everything up.” 

“How do I know you’re not bluffing?” Sehun asked. 

“Well, for starters,” the speedster said, “here’s a trigger.” 

He pulled out some small, black contraption from his pocket and raised it in the air. 

“That could just be a remote controller. Something that doesn’t even have to do with the bomb,” Sehun said, unconvinced. Jongdae had always told him that crimes needed proof. Concrete proof. Things weren’t always what they seemed, and Sehun needed something better than this tiny black box that could be nothing more than a remote for a toy dinosaur.

“I’ve placed a bomb near City Hall, another one near the police station, one on Main Street, and a couple more around some highly populated places. I bet you have friends who work in high places. Do you want to take that risk?” the speedster said.

Sehun faltered. 

“You’re lying,” he said. 

“Am I?” the speedster said, raising the volume of the TV. 

There was an uncomfortable silence punctuated by the sounds of a commercial’s jingle, announcing some car wash’s weekend special. Sehun relaxed, resisting the urge to tell the speedster he should have timed that better. 

But any trace of amusement vanished a second later after the screen showed Sunyoung once more with the headline BREAKING NEWS displayed across the bottom. 

“We are here live at City Hall,” Sunyoung said, “where the police have found one bomb with its timer set to five minutes before it explodes. Experts are scrambling to determine if the five bombs they’ve found across the city are the only ones.” 

“There’s actually ten,” the speedster said with a chuckle. 

Sehun rose to his feet, almost forgetting for a second that the bars were lasers that could cut off his hands and almost grabbed them. 

“ _Stop_ ,” Sehun said, raising his voice, “you can’t just blow up the city like that. Don’t hurt those people.” 

“I’m not,” the speedster said, “You will. Reveal yourself to me and I’ll stop the bombs and save the city. Don’t, and everyone dies. It’s simple. It’s your choice. Your fault.” 

Sunyoung’s voice interjected, sounding a little shakier. 

“We’ve just received a report that efforts to disarm the bomb have only caused the timers to display a minute and thirty seconds left. Please evacuate if you are anywhere near the listed areas,” she said as she took a deep breath, not even moving an inch away from City Hall, “Flash, if you’re out there, we need you more than ever.” 

Sehun’s heart plummeted in his chest. If this were the only option, then he wouldn’t hesitate this time. He turned around and slowly lifted his mask from his head. After taking a deep breath, he turned around. 

“Save those people now,” he said. He wanted nothing more than to hide his face behind his hands, to drop his head and stare at the floor, but he felt Jongdae alive in him and kept his chin up. 

He waited for the inevitable _Who are you?_ Or even a _Who the fuck are you?_ Because there weren’t many people who knew him aside those he worked with and those he had interviewed. He was just an average person after all. An average journalist. An average, ordinary citizen of Central City.

So he didn’t expect the silence, the single raised, pointed finger at him. 

“You?” the speedster said, his voice low as he stared and stared at Sehun. Sehun felt uncomfortable under the gaze of those dark eyes, but he continued to stand tall. 

“You’re the last person in the world I expected to see under that mask,” the speedster said, shaking his head as he leaned on the TV for support. 

Sehun supposed since he was exposed, he could unleash his own information, too. 

“You, too,” Sehun said, “Dr. Lee. I expected better.” 

The speedster only grinned and laughed. 

“So that’s why you cared so much about that civilian. It was Jongdae, wasn’t it?” he said, “No wonder you cried. You killed your own heart.” 

“Shut _up_ ,” Sehun shout, his chest tightening at the sudden mention of Jongdae.

Dr. Lee laughed. 

“Really? Sehun? It’s _you_?” he said with a pause, “We really have to chat about this when I’m back. I’ll keep my word, you know. I’ll save the people you can’t." 

With that, he zoomed out, leaving Sehun in tears again. Before all of this, the mere mention of Jongdae would bring a smile to his face. Now there were only tears. 

Sehun swiped at his cheek and watched the TV, hoping it wasn’t too late. Sunyoung, forever fearless, continued to report. She walked slowly away from the scene, but did not move fast enough to avoid the blast if it actually exploded. Why was the Flash considered the bravest in the city when people like her existed?

But with seconds left, she braced herself, throwing her hands over her head. A second later, after nothing happened, she slowly moved her arms away and blinked. Out of nowhere, Dr. Lee entered the frame. 

“Hey,” he said to her, “I got rid of all the bombs. You’re welcome.” 

Sunyoung stared at him for a moment before professionally resuming her job. 

“You did?” she said, smoothing her hair back. 

“Every last one of them,” he said, dropping disarmed bombs at her feet. She stepped back to look at him, and her camerawoman lowered the shot to show the viewers the bombs. Sunyoung looked around as if she was still expecting an explosion before she frowned and stared at Dr. Lee. 

“You did this by yourself?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” Dr. Lee said, “someone has to step up since the Flash is dead.” 

“He’s not dead,” Sunyoung shook her head. 

“Oh, he is,” Dr. Lee said, “or would you prefer thinking that he abandoned you? Your choice.” 

“He’s a busy person. He probably has other things to do,” she said before furrowing her eyebrows, “Who are you anyways? Who are you to think you know everything? Who are you to say this?” 

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, “But for right now, the city’s hero.” 

It began to rain harder, and a flash of lightning tore up the sky, causing Sehun to bury his face in his hands, suddenly reminded of Jongdae. He had to get back. Jongdae couldn’t be dead. He shouldn’t have left so impulsively like that. 

Before he had time to give in to his tears, the speedster had reappeared in the room. 

“I wasn’t going to let the bombs blow up anyways,” Dr. Lee said, “You know. It’s better to save people, be a hero, and receive their praise. But manipulating you to take off your mask, too? That was too good. Don’t you agree? Sehun?” 

Sehun slowly removed his hands from his face and glared.

“You think you’ve got everything figured out, Dr. Lee,” he said, “but when I get out of here, I’ll take you into the station yourself and make you tell me who the second murderer is. I know you know.” 

“I’m not doing anything you want me to do,” Dr. Lee sneered, “ _Sehun_. Oh…you’ll have to tell me how you got your powers. I’m dying to know how a person so weak, so unworthy could be blessed with such a gift.” 

Sehun hesitated before speaking. 

“A bolt of lightning was about to strike Jongdae, and I jumped to push him out of the way,” Sehun said, “Now we’re here.” 

Dr. Lee walked around, contemplating this. Sehun wondered if he had pretended to use a cane this whole time. 

“You know, while I was out there saving the city from the bombs,” Dr. Lee said. 

“Bombs you placed,” Sehun said. 

“Bombs that I _stopped_ ,” Dr. Lee said, “I tried to understand why you’re the Flash. I really did. Of all people, why you?” 

Sehun didn’t know either. It should have been Jongdae. It really should have been, and the universe would fix the mistake when Jongdae woke up from his coma with super speed.

 _When._  

“Jongdae has a tragic backstory and enough pain to fuel him for the rest of his life. I’d understand if he wants to prevent other people from feeling like him. Baekhyun? He’s done a lot of damage, so being the Flash could be his repentance,” Dr. Lee said.

Sehun froze, realizing that since Dr. Lee knew he was the Flash, he also knew who he was closest with and could hurt them any time. At least he had warned Baekhyun about Dr. Lee before he had left.

“But you? _You_? You’re just a writer,” Dr. Lee laughed, “what’s so special about you? You’re not the big hero everyone sees. You’re just some writer who spends too much time with unimportant people. You cry too much, my _god_. You cry over every little death, as if that’s the worst thing that can happen! You’re not deserving of all this praise, and you’re especially not worthy to be the city’s hero. The Flash.” 

Sehun couldn’t say anything, only turned away. He wanted to throw his hood back on, but he didn’t. He wanted to crawl under the covers and hide, but he didn’t. He wanted to tell Dr. Lee that he was wrong, but he didn’t. Because Dr. Lee was right. 

He couldn’t be the Flash that the city needed. 

He couldn’t and he never was.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Another day, another heaping plate of food, another newspaper. 

Sehun ate quickly to satisfy his hunger. He had felt weakened and was in a perpetually bad mood after only being able to eat once a day. 

Another day, another headline.

 

WHITE SPEEDSTER SAVES CITY FROM BOMBS

 

Sehun didn’t care about the front of the newspaper, but he still scanned the article. Good journalists could write while staying completely neutral about a topic, but that wasn’t the case, as Sehun detected a little favor from this writer. 

Inside the newspaper was another Flash editorial.

 

By: Oh Sehun

 

At least he knew Joohyun was fine.

 _The Flash can take all the time he wants, but he should come back soon. The people need the hope he brings. The heart he has. Come back safely._  

He wondered if that was addressed to him. Sehun. Writer. Not The Flash. 

Sehun spent the rest of the day watching television to distract himself. The weather report was the same. Rain for the whole week. Sehun wondered when it’d stop. Next was news about miscellaneous things and highlights from sports games Sehun didn’t care about. 

And in the evening, news about the white speedster who had saved a school bus from falling off the bridge. Dr. Lee stood, waving at the children who cheered for him. Another reporter interviewed him, asking him various questions and demanding what was his superhero name. Dr. Lee laughed and said for now, he was just glad to be called a hero. Sehun was just glad no one had died. 

A second later, Dr. Lee returned, brushing himself off as he strode into the room. Sehun didn’t move and continued to hang off the bed up side down, staring at the TV until the Dr. Lee stood in front of it. Sehun pulled himself off the bed and sat properly, bracing himself for whatever nonsense would come next. 

“Now I see why you’re out there every day running around looking for trouble to solve, people to save. It’s so…addicting. It’s such a rush when people are cheering for you, when they look at you like you’re their savior,” Dr. Lee nodded. 

“That’s not why I do it,” Sehun shook his head, “That’s not why at all.” 

“Oh? Then for what other reason could you possibly do it?” Dr. Lee said. 

“I do it because I don’t want people to die. I don’t want people to be hurt. And when they’re alone, I want them to know that at least I’ll be there looking out for them,” Sehun said.

“Boring,” Dr. Lee waved him off, “What do you get out of that?” 

“Nothing,” Sehun shrugged, “I think this city is good, and I just like helping others.”

“It’s my city now,” Dr. Lee said, jabbing a thumb at his chest, “Didn’t you see how they cheered for me?” 

“I never said it was my city,” Sehun said, dangling his feet off the bed, “it’s just my home.” 

Home was wherever Jongdae was, but he did like moving from Keystone to Central City with its yellow taxis, city lights, people bustling around every day. He liked it all.

“Then you won’t mind when they replace me with you,” Dr. Lee said. 

“Not at all,” Sehun blinked, “as long as you protect people and save them from danger.”

That wasn’t the reaction Dr. Lee wanted, and he scowled before taunting Sehun, prodding him with words to provoke the reaction he wanted. 

“Jongdae’s dead, and it’s your fault,” he loudly said, “He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s _dead!_ Maybe you missed his funeral. Maybe he’s already been buried. Or burned. Maybe there’s nothing left of him.” 

Sehun leaped off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door behind him before placing his hands over his ears, trying to drown out those words.

Jongdae couldn’t be dead. 

He just couldn’t.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“Jongdae’s dead, and it’s your fault” is what Dr. Lee told Sehun every time he entered the room. Whenever Sehun heard those words, he disappeared into the bathroom and locked himself in so he wouldn’t have to hear or see that person. He would spend every hour of the day in here if it meant not having to hear those damning words. 

Sehun had been here for a week now. Maybe two. Who even knew at this point? It was hard to count the days when seconds were all he had. 

“Jongdae’s dead, and it’s your fault” is what Dr. Lee woke him up with every morning. Nowadays, Dr. Lee would drop off a plate of breakfast and a newspaper and wait until he reset the lasers before he shouted those words. Maybe he was afraid of what Sehun would do to him if the lasers were still deactivated, especially when Jongdae was mentioned. 

After Sehun looked at him, struggling to focus after having been rudely awakened, the dark lines on the Dr. Lee’s mouth twisted up into a smile, and he waved before leaving Sehun alone once more. 

Sehun reluctantly ate because he didn’t want to die. After he finished all the food and reading the newspaper, he jumped back into bed and curled up listlessly, pulling the covers over his head. 

It was his fault, wasn’t it? 

It was his fault…for not seeing the lightning bolt hurtle towards him, for letting Jongdae join him even when he knew it was dangerous. Didn’t he learn anything after Soojung? 

Sehun spent the rest of the day thinking about Jongdae as he watched the news. It rained harder today, a dash of lightning and thunderstorms tearing up the east side of town. He wondered if lightning would choose someone else to strike. 

An hour later after watching the weather and the same commercials, Sehun watched another breaking news segment. Sunyoung, visibly shocked, interviewed the white speedster once more after he had stopped a tree from falling onto an orphanage. Sehun didn’t like the speedster at all, hated Dr. Lee even more, but. He had no problems with this as long as no one died or was hurt. 

Sehun spent the rest of the day reading the newspaper again. There was that familiar Flash article written by Joohyun, hidden under his name. It seemed Qian had allowed her to continue writing like that even after Joohyun had confessed the truth on national television. 

After he read through the newspaper ten times, he spent the rest of the day staring up at the ceiling while listening to the same commercials over and over again. He could recite them by memory now, and he knew every pause, every note of the jingles that accompanied them. He could recognize each news anchor by the sound of their voice, just like he could tell who was walking around his apartment based on their footsteps.

But here, there were no footsteps to listen for because the white speedster treaded softly. He never used his speed, so Sehun couldn’t hear any electricity, any gust of wind to warn him of his presence. There were only a few words that the speedster said in greeting, and they weren’t words Sehun wanted to hear. 

“Jongdae’s dead,” Dr. Lee said. 

Sehun ignored Dr. Lee, took a deep breath, and asked a question instead. 

“If I’m Sehun, and you’re Dr. Lee,” Sehun said, “and if I’m the Flash, then who are you?” 

The speedster looked at him. 

“All in due time. I’ll announce my name soon,” he said, “You’ll see.” 

“How about Twinkle Toes?” Sehun asked, remembering Baekhyun’s suggestions, “The news could call you Twinky Winky. Or how about—” 

“Jongdae’s dead, and it’s your fault,” Dr. Lee snapped, not amused with Sehun’s words. He glared at him before he briskly exited the room. 

Alone, weakened by the thin oxygen levels and the continuous lack of food, Sehun felt like he was suffocating slowly, like a weak person had shoved a pillow on his face but was too frail to push down. 

Sehun knew it was his fault Jongdae had been struck by lightning, but it was with those words ringing in his head that he began to plan his escape. He had to see if Jongdae was alive or not. Only then, only after he saw Jongdae’s body lowered into a grave would he push the guilt that pierced his heart deeper into himself. Guilt for getting Jongdae hurt was one thing. Guilt for Jongdae’s death was another. 

Sehun would never be able to live with himself ever again if Jongdae was actually dead. 

He remembered the way Jongdae looked the last time before he left. The stillness. The stony silence. Sehun shook that image out of his head and instead pictured Jongdae smiling, hair tousled in the morning when he leaned over to kiss him good morning. He pictured Jongdae laughing after Baekhyun said something particularly funny, how he clapped his hands together and bent over, overcome with his amusement. He pictured Jongdae smiling, Jongdae breathing, Jongdae living. 

Jongdae was alive, and Sehun would make it back home to see him again.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun refused to sleep yesterday. He kept himself awake, pinching himself, mentally writing articles in his head, thinking of anything at all to keep himself from falling asleep. If Dr. Lee had to disable the lasers before giving Sehun his breakfast, then Sehun would sneak out as soon as they were gone. He only needed a second, maybe even less, and then he’d be free. 

This was the plan. 

In theory. 

And he would be back by Jongdae’s side in no time. 

Sehun’s heart thumped in his chest as he waited and hoped he would have enough oxygen to last out the door. After he heard the door open, he opened his eyes just a crack. He continued to feign sleeping, seeing a familiar pair of white boots come into view. He saw a remote pulled out from a pocket and the lasers disengage a moment later. Taking that as his cue, Sehun leapt off the bed and slammed into the speedster, knocking him back to the other side of the room. It was getting harder to breathe, but Sehun had just reached the door and tore it open as he gasped for breath. 

Only to find a second set of lasers. 

Fuck.

Sehun hesitated for a second, not sure what to do now. That second was enough for Dr. Lee to lunge towards him with a snarl. Sehun hadn’t used his speed in a while, and large bursts of electricity poured out of his fists as he punched Dr. Lee again and again and again. During their previous fight, Sehun was mismatched, weakened by his grief, but here, with his desperate desire to get out and see Jongdae, he landed more blows than he took. 

But using his speed for too long had taken its toll. Dr. Lee hadn’t used his speed as much and simply waited for Sehun to gasp and bend over, breathing for air that wouldn’t come. With a laugh, Dr. Lee used his speed to pull Sehun back to his side of the room before darting back and resetting the lasers. 

“Did you really think that would work?” Dr. Lee snarled before raising a remote control in the air, “only I have the power to disable this, only I have the power to set you free, and I really don’t want to kill you before your time, so don’t even think of trying that again.”

Sehun didn’t even have the energy to respond. That escape attempt had cost him oxygen, and he could only lay on the floor, struggling to breathe. 

“I know you don’t want to be here,” Dr. Lee loudly said, “but think of it as penance for all the people you failed. That police officer. Soojung. Jongdae.” 

With that, he left, slamming the door behind him without giving Sehun his food and newspaper for the day. Sehun was too tired to pull himself up, so he continued laying on the floor. He turned his neck and found something that had fallen out of Dr. Lee’s pocket during the fight. Sehun stretched an arm out to pick it up and examine it. It was an empty syringe. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Sehun didn’t think too much about it because he was too busy trying to keep himself together.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“Do you want your food or not?” was what Sehun awoke to the next morning. 

Sehun stirred with a groan, wondering why the fuck Dr. Lee was up so early. 

“Go to the bathroom and close the door behind you. I want to hear it lock before I give you your food,” Dr. Lee said. 

Sehun would have ideally refused the food, but if he wanted to escape from here, he needed all the energy he could get. So he sleepily trudged to the bathroom and locked it behind him. A second later, he heard an order to come out, so he did, finding a plate of food and a newspaper waiting for him on the floor. 

“You look at the newspaper first?” Dr. Lee said after Sehun picked it up, “I would’ve thought you were starving.” 

Sehun ignored him and stared at the newest headline.

 

CENTRAL CITY’S NEWEST HERO

 

Underneath was a picture of Dr. Lee with his body blurred, pictured saving some little boy from being crushed by a streetlamp that had collapsed. 

“There’s nothing really much going on in the news,” Dr. Lee said, “I only stopped a boring robbery here or there. Saved a building from going down into flames.” 

“That’s good,” Sehun mumbled, “did anyone die? Get hurt?” 

“Who do you think I am? The Flash?” Dr. Lee laughed, “of course I wouldn’t let anyone get hurt or die.” 

Sehun ignored the jab and dragged the plate of food towards him. 

“Then why do you need me in here?” Sehun asked, “If you want to be the only hero, then be the only hero. As long as you’re helping people, I’ll gladly retire.” 

“I don’t think you’ll just give it up so easily,” Dr. Lee said, “come on. You have the public’s love, or at least whatever’s left of it. And I know your type. You always want to rush in and help no matter what.” 

“Aren’t you like that too?” Sehun said between bites of his food, “Even though you’re locking me here? You just saved all those people.” 

“What’s the fun of waiting for things to happen?” Dr. Lee said with a laugh, “This city needs a hero who will help them in catastrophes, so I’ll make catastrophes to save them from. Floods. Fires. Burning buildings.” 

“You can’t,” Sehun said, dropping his fork as he suddenly looked up, “You can’t cause damage to save people. It doesn’t work like that.” 

“I already have,” he laughed. 

“People will know what you’ve done,” Sehun said, raising his voice. 

“No one will think to look at the details if they’re too busy praising me,” Dr. Lee said. 

“When I get out of here, I will expose you and your lies,” Sehun said, leaping to his feet, his food forgotten, “And I will tell them to never trust you because you are the reason why so many people were endangered in the first place.” 

“I mean it,” Sehun shouted again when Dr. Lee said nothing in response, “You’re no hero if you hurt to save.” 

“That’s not what the city thinks,” Dr. Lee said, “I’m planning a big catastrophe, a big crisis to avert. No need to worry. I won’t let anyone die, but I can’t imagine the terror they’ll face.” 

He left with a final laugh that haunted Sehun even after it passed.

As soon as the door closed, Sehun frantically examined the room again for any way out, the need to warn the city about Dr. Lee overpowering his fear. But there were still no secret exits, no space the lasers had missed, and he couldn’t think of anything he hadn’t already tried. And, as if the situation was already difficult, he had to escape without his powers or face suffocation. Given the tech around him, that seemed impossible. 

First of all, who the fuck had enough money for this tech? Maybe Dr. Lee built it himself. He was certainly smart enough to do it. 

After giving up for the moment, Sehun ate quietly, his shoulders slouched as Sunyoung announced the latest terror attack. Another bomb defused by the white speedster. Sehun couldn’t imagine how terrified the people in the area must have been and watched the news with tears stinging his eyes, threatening to rain down onto his cheeks any moment. 

He hated how he couldn’t think of a single way to escape, to do anything at all but sit around uselessly. 

If he were stronger. 

If he were faster. 

If he were better than he was, then he could escape and help the people. If he were Baekhyun, then he could invent something and escape in two seconds. If he were Joohyun, then he’d have enough willpower to drag himself through every day determined to think that this day would be the day of escape, not another day of captivity. If he were Jongdae, then he wouldn’t break down every three seconds and endure this with unparalleled strength. But he wasn’t. He was only Sehun. 

And because he was Sehun, he was still stuck in here. 

Because he was Sehun, he couldn’t help the city or save them from every danger they had faced and would face. 

And because he was Sehun, he couldn’t be the hero they all wanted and needed.

Sehun turned away from the TV and snatched up the newspaper, hoping to distract himself from these truths. He flipped through and saw advertisements for home insurance. Articles about the stock market. Articles about another big save for Superman all the way over in Metropolis. Articles about the white speedster. The news hadn’t named him yet.

And finally, a Flash article. Sehun’s eyes widened, and he clutched the paper tighter as he read the headline.

 

THE MAN UNDER THE MASK

By: Bae Joohyun

 

Joohyun? 

Sehun stared at her name, wondering what changed. Maybe she was brave enough to write under her real name. Maybe he had been gone long enough she could no longer hide under the excuse that he approved of every article she wrote. She wrote several paragraphs, but the last few sentences made him pause, and he re-read those words over and over again. 

_The man under the mask is the one who saves you. Not the costume you see, not the lightning bolts that you wear on your shirts and that your barista draws in foam when you order a Flash at Jitter’s. Take away that mask, and he’s still a hero. Take away the Flash, and he’s still a good man. You’ve taken away his reputation, but you can’t take away his heart. And when you need him again, he’ll forgive you for your words and save you. Because that’s just who he is._

Sehun took a deep breath and stood up.

He wasn’t Baekhyun, wasn’t Joohyun, wasn’t Jongdae. But he would still find a way to escape and save the people not because he was a hero, angel, protector of Central City. 

But because he was Sehun. 

Regardless of whether the city wanted him or not, he was also the one that needed to take down this white speedster, and to do that, he had to admit he had become something else. Someone else. 

The Flash.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

New plan. 

Well, actually same plan. 

It wasn’t like Sehun had any other different plans, but now that he knew the lasers could be disabled, all he needed was the remote and the chance to even touch Dr. Lee before he turned on the lasers again. 

So Sehun pretended to obey and fell into a routine.

Every morning, Dr. Lee woke him up with a taunt, startling him awake. Sehun would trudge to the bathroom, lock the door behind him, and wait so Dr. Lee could set the food and the newspaper down. Nowadays, when Sehun was inside the bathroom, he dropped to the floor and stared out of the crack in the door to monitor Dr. Lee’s movement. Dr. Lee bent down to place the plate on the floor, straightened up to drop the newspaper, and took a single step back before he turned the lasers on again. So Sehun had a quarter of a second to act and catch Dr. Lee unawares before he could straighten up. He’d probably have to run faster than he ever ran, but he could do it. He would. 

He watched Dr. Lee for three days to make sure he memorized the timing right, three days to practice opening the lock quickly in time. So he endured three more days of this, three more days of Dr. Lee telling him Jongdae was dead, Jongdae was dead and it was all his fault. Three days that felt like three thousand years watching the city plunge into terror, a terror forcibly caused by the man who destroyed to save. 

And when Sehun thought he had prepared enough, the next time Dr. Lee made him lock the door, he complied and counted the milliseconds in his head before he phased through the door and burst out just in time. Phasing was faster than unlocking, he had found, and there were no lasers hidden inside the door to stop him. 

Dr. Lee was about to take his step back, holding out the remote, but Sehun caught him in time, decked him in time before the lasers could turn on again. The remote scattered out of Dr. Lee’s grip, and Sehun landed a few blows on him before he rushed to pick up the remote. But before he could snatch it up, a hand dragged him back, and he turned, lashing out to attack, receiving hits in return. 

Their speed was costing them both air, and the longer they fought, the more they had to stop to gasp for breath. After kicking Dr. Lee’s head and sending him groaning, curling up on the floor, Sehun crawled towards the remote and fumbled with it, jamming a few buttons and he’d get lucky and pick the right one. 

The first button he tried decreased the oxygen levels even more, causing him to gasp as he desperately pressed the button, returning the oxygen to its previous state. The next button he tried luckily made the lasers appear and disappear. He hoped the button was connected to the lasers outside and finally pulled himself to his feet, kicked Dr. Lee once more for good measure, and ran for the door. 

Sehun continued choking, struggling to breathe, and wondered if it would’ve been easier to stop breathing all together. He held his breath, fingers fumbling for the doorknob, and managed to wrench it open. He saw a hallway right in front of him with no lasers to block his way, but just as he took a step forwards, something slammed into his neck. 

Immediately, his knees weakened, and he felt dizzy, blinking stars out of his eyes, beginning to slump to the floor. He would’ve fallen had it not been for the arms that roughly grabbed him. Sehun turned his neck to find angry black eyes glaring at him. Sehun gave one last effort and launched all his remaining power into a swift uppercut punch, just like the one Seulgi taught him. 

Down they both went. That was the last of Sehun’s energy, and he could only lie on the floor, finding Dr. Lee groaning next to him. The last things Sehun saw before he fell unconscious were vials tumbling out of Dr. Lee’s pocket, the glass scraping against the cold floor.

One was empty. 

One was clear. 

One was blue.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun woke up in a place drastically different than the spare bedroom in the basement he had grown used to. As he stirred, he vaguely found himself tightly secured against a concrete pillar. Whatever Dr. Lee must have injected him with must have been some powerful tranquilizer because even now, it was hard for him to see or think straight. 

But when Sehun finally regained enough consciousness, he blinked, realizing he had been trapped in some abandoned warehouse. There was nothing in the empty space, nothing but a few broken pillars smashed on the ground here and there and damp puddles of water. 

Was he even in Central City?

Where was he? 

Sehun shook his head and tried to ignore the spinning sensation he felt. Whatever he had been hit with, it had been powerful. He was already weak, weak from the lack of food, the lack of oxygen, but at least here he could breathe. And if he could breathe, that meant that he could use his speed. He took a deep breath, but just as he was about to phase through the ropes that held him, he felt a hand grab his head and something sharp slam into his neck. 

He groaned, head lolling forwards. The dizziness worsened, and as he found it harder and harder stay conscious, he saw a pair of spandex-clad legs walking away and a familiar sinister voice echoing in the room. 

"Did you really think it'd be that easy for you to escape after everything you've done?" the voice said.

It was a pity Sehun was about to fall completely unconscious because he would have absolutely mouthed back an insult that Baekhyun would have been proud of.

The last thing on his mind before he faded was Jongdae. Always Jongdae. If Jongdae knew he was here like this, tied up like this, roughened up like this, then Dr. Lee would be lucky if Jongdae was still unconscious. If Sehun couldn't manage to escape on his own, it was honestly only a matter of time before Jongdae ripped Dr. Lee to shreds for everything he had done. 

Sehun slipped in and out of consciousness, and because he was too incoherent to think straight, he had no concept of time, absolutely none at all. It could've been three hours, but he wouldn’t know. A day. A week. A year? It was possible, given how slowly Sehun perceived time. 

Dr. Lee must have realized that Sehun metabolized everything he ingested quickly given his powers. So to avoid allowing Sehun to be fully coherent at any time, because a coherent speedster was a dangerous one, Dr. Lee constantly administered regular doses of the tranquilizer. 

"No," Sehun would weakly mutter when he heard footsteps approach, "Stop."

"Can't have you escaping and ruining my plan, can I?" a familiar metallic voice grinded next to his ears. 

Sehun felt a sharp pain and stopped feeling afterwards. 

Sometimes when Sehun floated in an out of consciousness, he dreamt of images from his past. He wasn't sure if these truly were dreams, if these were memories, or even figments of his imagination. But he saw them regardless of whether he wanted to see them or not. 

Sometimes he dreamt of himself holding a much younger Jongdae, rain soaked body, wet hair, tears running down his face. It was obvious what this Jongdae had just seen, had just experienced. Sehun couldn't say anything and only held him, only stroked his back. 

Then his dreams shifted, and Jongdae was older, waiting for Sehun after school ended so they could walk home together. This was when Jongdae was still taller, so he insisted on holding Sehun's hand so he wouldn't lose him. Even after Sehun outgrew him, Jongdae still used that excuse to hold his hand. On these walks home, Jongdae would look both ways, check every street they passed. On one of those streets, a faceless man charged at them, screaming with a metallic voice, wielding a sharp knife. As Jongdae screamed, Sehun jolted awake with a gasp. 

He struggled to lift his head, fighting to calm his racing heartbeat. Even if he was able to escape now, there was no way he'd be able to do anything now because he was so overwhelmed, so overwhelmed by whatever he had just dreamt. He fought to breathe, glancing around, only to find the warehouse, not the streets. No murderer, just a pair of white feet. 

No Jongdae, just Dr. Lee. 

"You know," a familiar voice said as Sehun felt his hair roughly grabbed and his neck twisted sideways, "This is really so inconvenient for me. You know how many other better things I can be doing with my time rather than giving you this stuff? Fuck. Why do you have to go through so many of these doses a day?" 

Then Sehun felt a familiar pain and then he disappeared, falling unconsciousness again. 

This time he saw high school versions of Baekhyun and Jongdae playing video games in his house. They only had two controllers, but that was fine because Sehun didn't like videogames as much as they did. Instead, he draped himself across Jongdae's back and peeked out of his shoulder to watch him play. But when he stared at the TV screen, there was only a single image of lightning striking their characters over and over and over again.

Then he blinked and found himself in a familiar warehouse. 

Sehun tugged against his bonds, too frustrated, too dizzy to remember he could just phase right through them. He hung his head and tried to recover from these dreams, wondering if the drugs used to knock him out had been laced with something else. 

Jongdae...where was Jongdae? These dreams had felt so real, but of course they couldn't have been because Jongdae was much older than the kid Sehun saw when he was unconscious.

"Jongdae?" he couldn't help but ask. If he could hold his head, then he would. He would lower his head into his hands and endure this splitting pain across his head 

“Jongdae?” he repeated with a soft voice. His words were slurred, but as he looked around, his heart sank. What did he expect? For Jongdae to be here? 

Sehun took a breath, and feeling more awake, heard rain tapping on the roof above him. Maybe they were still in Central City. That made sense. It hadn’t stopped raining the last time he had listened to the news. Dr. Lee lived in the city, so it would be convenient to keep Sehun close if he had to run back and forth from his home and his work to check on Sehun. Sehun wondered how Baekhyun would feel if he had to go to work to see Dr. Lee every day, both of them pretending like everything was fine. 

This time, though his head was still foggy, Sehun was able to phase himself out of the ropes. He collapsed on the ground, stumbling forwards. He tried to stand on shaky legs, but just as he was about to take a step forwards, something swiped at his legs, causing him to lose balance and stumble to the ground. 

"You're burning through these quicker. Interesting. I'll have to either come back sooner or increase your dosage," said a familiar voice. 

“Hey…fuck you,” Sehun mumbled before he felt that familiar pinch on his neck. The last thing Sehun consciously remembered was being dragged back to the pillar, feeling the ropes tighten across his chest, fear claw at his heart, and a terrible voice spitting out terrible words.

"Jongdae's dead. It's your fault," someone snarled. 

Was it really? 

Was it really his fault? Did the one time he failed Jongdae cancel out all the other times he had tried to take care of him, to protect him?

He dreamt of the time his nine-year-old self grabbed a kid’s drawing and scribbled on it with an angry red crayon after listening to the way the kid had laughed and told his other classmates about how some kid with no parents just joined the school. His twelve-year-old self throwing on a disguise and walking into the main office, pretending to be Jongdae’s aunt to retrieve Jongdae’s phone after it had been confiscated. His eighteen-year-old self immediately jumping onto the next bus and traveling all the way from Keystone to Central City just to take care of Jongdae when he had fallen ill during finals week. His twenty-five year old self seeing the flash of light and pushing Jongdae out of the way before the lightning struck. 

Those were only some of the many times he had acted with his heart, acted for Jongdae. Did one failure destroy these other time?

But Jongdae had jumped for him, just like he had launched himself in front of every single thing that hurtled towards Sehun. Even though Sehun had never asked him to. 

There was Jongdae when he was twelve, throwing himself at bullies three times his size when one of them had tripped Sehun at recess. Jongdae when he was fifteen, stealing his aunt's car to pick Sehun up from some sleepover that made him feel uncomfortable even though the only other time he had driven was in a parking lot at 3mph. Jongdae when he was twenty, angrily getting into a fight with some drunken guy after he had tried to grab Sehun's wrist and drag him to his car. Jongdae when he was twenty-seven with no speed, just heart, diving in front of Sehun to push himself out of the way as a brilliant light and a crack of thunder raced towards him. 

So Jongdae getting hurt wasn't his fault. 

They had always protected each other, and nothing ever changed. Not even their hearts. If anything, they only loved harder with time. 

Just as Sehun would jump in front of a lightning bolt for Jongdae, Jongdae would do the exact same for him a thousand times over. 

This was no one's fault, and as Sehun woke up, fighting the haze in his mind, he let out a laugh. 

Because he loved Jongdae. 

This was one of those little moments when he realized that he loved Jongdae all over again. He was always in love, so deeply in love. Sometimes he had such moments in the morning when he realized he loved Jongdae so much because it hurt to let him go. Other times, he realized he loved Jongdae when they laid in bed together and Sehun traced little hearts into Jongdae's skin as Jongdae slept beside him. Other times, Sehun realized he loved Jongdae all over again when Jongdae was making dinner and singing at the top of his lungs while Sehun could only watch with stars in his eyes and listen with a beautiful smile on his face.

And now, Sehun realized for yet another time, that he loved Jongdae as he was tied to a concrete pillar tripping on tranquillizers and whatever the fuck other choice of drugs he had been dosed with. 

But just as he realized this, a familiar hand grabbed his head and forced it downwards. 

"Wouldn't it be easier and faster to just knock me out the regular way?" Sehun slurred, exasperated with the rough way the speedster shoved his neck to the side. He hoped his taunting would work. Dr. Lee had predicted whenever Sehun would come out of his drug-induced state, but he couldn't calculate when Sehun would come to after being knocked out with a punch. Sehun was hoping to use that unknown time to his advantage. 

"You're right," Dr. Lee said. He shoved the vial back into his pocket, causing three vials containing some electric blue substance fell out of his pocket. 

That was the last thing Sehun noticed before he was knocked out with a swift punch. And this time, there were no dreams, no visions of Jongdae at all. 

Just a deep silence and a dark abyss.

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun should have reevaluated that plan because he woke up an undetermined time later still in the company of Dr. Lee, his chance to escape missed.

At least this time, he was outside on some rooftop, secured to a metallic structure behind him. He stared out at the surroundings and saw tall buildings poking out of that familiar skyline. They were still in Central City. 

Sehun took his first clean, conscious breath of air since he had been in the room and the warehouse. He was still tied so tightly that it was hard to breathe, but this was an improvement from the thin oxygen levels. While he wasn't drifting in and out of consciousness, Sehun felt a sharp pain sear across his head. 

"You're finally awake," Dr. Lee said, nudging Sehun's side with a foot. 

"When I get out of these ropes it's over for you," Sehun said, struggling to break free. The pain in his head prevented him from concentrating long enough to phase through the ropes. 

The other punch to his jaw Dr. Lee suddenly dealt him didn't help. Sehun reeled back, his head rolling sideways. That would probably bruise for a good half hour.

"You forced me to speed up my plan because you wouldn’t stay still like a good captive," Dr. Lee said, pacing around the rooftop. There were dark clouds in the sky, and it had begun to rain again. As raindrops splattered on his cheeks, Sehun wondered why the fuck there were so many rainclouds nowadays. It wasn't even rain season. 

"What's your plan?" Sehun asked. For the first time, he noticed Dr. Lee’s new costume. Gone was the completely white spandex outfit. Now Dr. Lee wore another white outfit, though this time, the material was similar to Sehun's. Now there were yellow bolts, more jagged than the ones Sehun wore, protruding from the side of the Dr. Lee’s head. Now the lenses over his eyes were bright yellow instead of black. 

A large lightning bolt longer than the one Sehun wore rested across Dr. Lee’s chest, but unlike Sehun's yellow one, this one was white, illuminated like a light. Sehun glanced at the rest of the suit. Golden gloves. Golden belt that looked like Sehun’s own belt. Yellow bolts crawling up his boots. It was almost exactly like Sehun's own suit except Sehun had the taste to wear red instead of white. 

"Like it?" Dr. Lee said, placing his hands on his hips as if he noticed Sehun's staring. "This is the final outfit. It looks like yours but better." 

"I don't think so," Sehun said, "You can add as many lightning bolts you want, but you still look you’re wearing a giant condom." 

The speedster shook his head. 

"You won't be so happy in a few minutes, Flash," Dr. Lee said, "not when I'm about to frame you for another bombing. This time I'll plant the evidence on you. I'll even make you put the bomb there yourself, and I'll stop you just in time. Or maybe I'll wait and let it blow up. A few bodies in your name will destroy whatever credibility your name has left." 

"Why would I let you do that?" Sehun said, trying phase himself free. After consistently failing, he gave up and pulled at the ropes instead.

"Because I'll kill everyone you love if you don't do what I say," Dr. Lee said, "I can't believe you didn't think of that. Since I know who you are, I know that your parents live in Keystone, your grandparents in Metropolis. Your friends are all around the country, scattered in places I can find easily. But your heart lives here. Joohyun. Baekhyun. Jongdae. I'll kill every single one you love, Sehun." 

Sehun found himself unaffected to the threats after everything had been through. So he didn’t cower, didn’t have the sense to be afraid, and only took a long breath.

"That can't be all you want me to do," Sehun said, blinking and shaking his head as heavier drops of rain landed on his face and soaked his skin. "I would've thought you weren't so stupid to pick on my family. They don't die easily. And who's to say I won't drop the bomb into the ocean and choke you instead?" 

Instead of immediately responding, Dr. Lee yanked off Sehun's mask and froze.

"God. That gets me every time," Dr. Lee said, stepping back to look at Sehun, "It can't be you. This really has to be a joke. You can't be the Flash. You're too...weak. You're too you." 

"After the bomb explodes," Dr. Lee said, "I'll save the city again and expose you to the world. The fraud you really are. The hero I really am. I will be the only hero Central City needs, and I'll kill you a—" 

"Thought you already told the newspapers that I was dead," Sehun said, having to shout above the rain and the wind to be heard.. The storm began to worsen, and had it not been for the thickness of his suit, he would’ve already been drenched. In the distance, a streak of lightning tore apart the sky. Sehun shivered as he watched. It seemed far enough. "You need to work on your consistency." 

"Then I'll say you faked your death to promote your terrorism agenda," the speedster said. 

Sehun laughed. This was perhaps the worst plan he had ever heard in his whole life, and he had already listened to a robber tell him why he thought breaking into a convenience store with only a pack of tic tacs, three dollars, and a trading card was a good idea. 

If this was supposed to be his ultimate archenemy, then Sehun wasn’t feeling very threatened. 

"What's your name anyways?" Sehun asked, "They'll ask you for your hero name, and if you don't, you might be stuck with a name you hate. So who are you? Who will you be to the world?" 

"Godspeed," Dr. Lee shouted, his voice rumbling through the syllables. He shouted his name once more, spreading his hands out as he yelled into the rain, demanding the storm, the clouds to listen to him, to bow to him.

"You sure you don't want to go with Twinkle Toes?" Sehun asked, "I'm sure Baekhyun will let you use that name, Twinky Winky." 

That seemed to strike a chord with Godspeed, and he grabbed Sehun by his neck and punched him jaw. He was about to land another blow before a loud crack of lightning struck. Both of them turned to catch a streak of yellow lightning appearing in the horizon. 

Time seemed to stop as they stared into the night sky. Though the lightning disappeared, there was a ball of bright light that steadily approached them closer and closer. Within seconds, the storm was worsening, and Sehun struggled to see through the pouring rain. But he heard the thunder roar again, saw the light illuminate the sky again. 

Sehun almost thought it was Soojung for a split second. But that couldn't be because Soojung was dead. As the light continued to approach, Sehun realized that this light was even brighter than Soojung’s, less golden than hers, and more yellow. As the light hovered above them, a bolt of lightning struck the ground near Godspeed’s feet. 

"You!" a voice shouted from the sky. Sehun squinted, trying to see through the light. The figure's pupils were gone, blown through and replaced with pure light. Blond hair whipped around his face. Electricity crackled around clenched fists. 

Then Sehun saw the features of the face that the lightning couldn't quite hide. Curved lips. Straight eyebrows. Cheekbones that could kill.

And he laughed.

_Jongdae._

"You're dead!" Sehun shouted at the speedster, feeling like he was running through the city at a million miles an hour even if he was sitting still. "You're fucking dead! That's my boyfriend, and he's going to fucking kill you for what you did to me!" 

With another laugh, he raised his voice and shouted for Jongdae as the light hovered in the air, meters and meters above them. A ball of electricity suddenly formed in Jongdae's hand, and without warning, he threw it down, striking the place next to Godspeed's feet again. It left a seared, burning, black mark on the ground. 

"What the fuck!" Godspeed screamed as he stared at Jongdae, "I watched the lightning strike you with my own two eyes! You should be dead! I thought you were dead!" 

Jongdae raised a hand, electricity crackling from his fingertips.

"You should have killed me yourself," Jongdae spoke loud and clear, lightning continuing to crackle around his body. "Didn't you know that if you left me even the slightest bit alive, I would come back to hurt you for what you did to Sehun?" 

With that, Jongdae hurtled another bolt, landing a blow before Godspeed could even mood. Godspeed shouted, clutching his shoulder, falling to his knees. 

"The next one is going straight through your heart," Jongdae shouted. Sehun couldn't see Jongdae's eyes, just the light that shone in through them. 

Jongdae raised his hand in the air, and as the rain continued to pour, he threw a lightning bolt straight at Godspeed. But after the lightning struck the wall where he had stood, Godspeed was gone. It seemed he had been fast enough to run away in time. 

For a few more moments, Jongdae hovered in the air like a bright star before he flew downwards. When he landed, the thunder had disappeared, and he was just like the same Jongdae that Sehun remembered. The light had disappeared into Jongdae’s heart. 

"Sehun!" Jongdae finally shouted, rushing towards him. The rain began to rapidly lessen, but Sehun's bangs were still plastered above his eyes. Jongdae gently pushed them aside before he began tugging at the ropes. 

All this time, Sehun kept his eyes on Jongdae, unwilling to even blink. One look wasn't enough. One second of looking wasn't enough. Even if he stared for a thousand years, it really truly wouldn't be enough. 

"Jongdae," Sehun said in a quiet voice, "I watched your heart stop so many times. Before I left you, your heart had stopped for an hour. I thought you were gone for good.”

"I had to come back," Jongdae said as he was working on loosening the ropes, "Remember? I always come back to you." 

After pulling the ropes away, Jongdae pulled Sehun into his arms. Sehun finally cried when he held Jongdae and felt Jongdae’s arms around him in return. He had missed seeing Jongdae, hearing his voice, feeling his heart beat, feeling his skin against his. 

"I'm so glad you're here," Sehun said through his tears, "You came back. You came _back_."

Jongdae smiled, and Sehun leaned forwards to kiss him. He wasn't sure if the dampness on his cheeks was from the rain or his tears, but it didn't matter because Jongdae wiped it all away as he took Sehun’s face in his hands and kissed him back. In this moment, Jongdae felt so full of life, so alive. So, so alive. _Alive._  

Sehun could finally think straight, but even then the only thought in his mind was Jongdae. Always. 

"I thought you would've awoken up with speed," Sehun said after they broke apart. The rain had finally stopped around them. "But now...this. You...You're _glowing_."

"That's what Baekhyun said, too," Jongdae said, "but the lightning must have changed my body differently. Look." 

He snapped, and a yellow spark flew out of his fingers. 

Sehun stared, only managing an awed _wow_. 

"I'll be by your side when you're the Flash again," Jongdae said. Sehun didn't know if there was much of a Flash to become anymore, but they could think of that later. "The two of us racing through Central City together. How about that?" 

It could happen again. One of them could be hurt again. But they were always better together, stronger together, and if both of them had powers, then Sehun was less worried. With a smile, he nodded.

"I'd love that very much. Do you have a name yet?" Sehun asked. 

Jongdae blinked.

"Oh, I'd forgotten about that," he said before he returned Sehun’s smile, "then name me." 

"Name you?" Sehun said. He wasn't always good with giving his articles good titles. Now he had to name Jongdae? "What if I give you a bad name?" 

"It can't be worse than anything Baekhyun comes up with," Jongdae said, touching Sehun's arm. 

Sehun paused to think of what Baekhyun would suggest if he were here. 

 _Lightning Lad_. 

"Already taken," Jongdae would’ve said.

 _Sparkles._  

"That’s terrible," Jongdae would’ve said. 

_Sparky._

"Even worse," Jongdae would’ve said. 

"Are you sure?" Sehun asked. 

"Really," Jongdae nodded, "Name me."

Jongdae stood back and leapt into the air as his body lit up. His eyes disappeared into the light, and electricity crackled around his body. Maybe all the light that he kept inside his heart had finally spilled out and exploded. 

Jongdae was stunning. Literally stunning, and Sehun was so in love. There may have been lightning bolts shooting out from Jongdae's hands, but there were sparks in the air, hearts shooting from Sehun's eyes and love raining down from his heart. 

“Name me, Sehun! Who will I be? Give me the first name that comes to your mind,” Jongdae shouted as lightning rumbled in the sky, splitting apart a dark cloud. 

But the first thing on Sehun’s mind was _oh my god I love Kim Jongdae_ , the second was _I am so happy to be alive as the same time as Kim Jongdae_ , and the third was _the most beautiful man in the whole entire universe is Kim Jongdae_.

So here was the fourth thing that burst forth from Sehun’s mind as he grinned. 

“Thunder Boy.”

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Thunder Boy, Jongdae was. 

Sehun had expected speed, but lightning had given Jongdae everything, so lightning he would become. He remembered all the countless times when Jongdae sparked such deep feelings in his heart and jolted him back to life when he afraid and lost. So this seemed right. Jongdae had always loved lightning, always lived with lightning crackling in his heart after all.

Sehun had wanted to talk more, to ask so many questions, but he sealed his lips and saved all the words that threatened to tumble out of his mouth for another time after listening to Jongdae.

"At home," Jongdae told him with a smile, "We can talk at home. So let's go home, Sehun."

He stood, held out his hand, and waited for Sehun to take it. Sehun slipped his hand into it and used Jongdae’s strength to pull himself up. He teetered forwards, but before he had a chance to fall, Jongdae caught him and kept him close. 

Sehun had done many impossible things in his life. He could start a writing assignment, a newspaper article an hour before it was due and finish with seconds left because last minute deadlines were always the strongest motivator. He could run up to speeds that his past self could have only dreamed of. He could be struck by lightning and survive. 

And now, he was flying. 

Or really, Jongdae was, and because Sehun was still weakened from his time spent locked away, he let Jongdae carry him through the air, eyes wide open as they zoomed by clouds that parted for them. Anyone looking up at the sky would’ve thought that a dazzling shooting star soared across the sky. Meteorologists would have grasped at their telescopes and stared at their screens before they zoomed in closer to find a person, not a comet or a star or an asteroid. Jessica, who had just stolen a fleet of ten armored cars, looked up above her, and for a second, thought that her sister had come back to her.

Electricity crackled around Jongdae, but none of it hurt Sehun, who was content with leaning closer to the light, closer to Jongdae’s chest. As they flew through the air, he glanced below, staring at the sights that they passed. But they were all the same. He could see these sights any time he wanted, so he drew his attention back to Jongdae and gazed at this bright light. Even up close, not a trace of Jongdae's pupils could be seen, his eyes replaced by pure light. He had a certain aura around him, like a glow surrounding his body that was tinged yellow. His hair was still blond, and he was still beautiful. Just like always. When Jongdae glanced down at Sehun to make sure he was fine, he smiled even bigger, smiled even brighter.

Minutes later, Jongdae landed on the roof of their apartment and gently helped Sehun down. Sehun clutched his arm to steady himself, finally realizing he was home. Jongdae escorted him to the stairs, and Sehun took his time climbing down every step. Soon enough, he stood in front of their back door, hand hovering over the doorknob. 

“What are you waiting for?” Jongdae said from behind him, “Go on.” 

Sehun placed his hand on the doorknob, slowly twisted it open, and stepped inside their apartment for the first time in what felt like forever.

As he gazed at that familiar couch, worn from years of the three of them sitting and lounging around it, that familiar coffee table with piles and piles of magazines no one read, those familiar photographs hanging around the walls, he realized this was it. This was the feeling he had missed. His apartment was a home again. He was smiling again. He could live again. 

Baekhyun, who had been sitting on the couch with his laptop perched on his lap, gasped when he saw Sehun take a few steps forward into his home. He froze, fingers flying to cover his mouth. For a moment, Baekhyun could only stare at Sehun before he slammed his computer shut, tossed it aside, and rushed towards him.

"Oh my _god_ ," Baekhyun shouted, squeezing Sehun into a tight hug, "I was so worried... _Sehun_...I thought he killed you when you didn't come back that night."

"It's okay," Sehun said, hugging him back, letting out a long sigh, "It's okay. I'm here now. I'm okay."

"Do you know how long you were gone?" Baekhyun said, releasing him from his grasp to look at him up and down. Sehun peered at Baekhyun’s expression and was startled to find tears in his eyes. "Do you know what it was like, having Jongdae dead next to me and you missing? Presumed dead?"

"I'm sorry," Sehun said, feeling tears of his own prick his eyes, "I'm so sorry, Baekhyun. But I'm back now. How long was I gone?"

"Almost three weeks," Baekhyun said, "Three weeks. I thought of calling the police after the first 24 hours passed, but what was I supposed to say? You're the Flash and you disappeared after trailing the white speedster?"

Jongdae busied himself with guiding Sehun to the couch and removing his cowl so he could breathe easier.

"And _you_ ," Baekhyun said, turning back to Jongdae. His voice trembled, and he raised a pointed finger at him, but after all he could do was stare at him, he gave up and buried his face into his hands. "Oh my god..."

Jongdae flashed him a smile and grabbed some clothes for Sehun. He held them out for Sehun who changed quickly, shivering as he wore nothing but a light T-shirt and sweatpants now. 

“Jongdae, you _fucking_ …” Baekhyun tried to say again before he trailed off.

Jongdae ran into their room and returned with blankets and a towel.

“ _You_ ,” Baekhyun said before he gave up and threw his hands in the air, slumping into the couch beside him. 

"When did you wake up?" Sehun asked. Jongdae hummed as wrapped Sehun’s body in blankets.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun said, elbowing Jongdae, “why don’t you tell him?”

Jongdae threw a towel over Sehun’s head and began to dry his hair before he answered.

"Oh, an hour ago," Jongdae said. 

 _What._  

"What?" Sehun shouted, turning around so suddenly that the blankets fell from his shoulders. He reached forwards to check Jongdae for any bruises, any wounds, anything at all. But there was nothing, nothing at all. Sehun remembered the way the lightning had split apart and singed the skin of Jongdae’s chest, but as he lifted up Jongdae’s shirt, there was not even a single scar. 

"Should you even be out of bed?" Sehun asked as he pulled Jongdae’s shirt down and stared at him with wide eyes. Jongdae looked away and pulled the blankets tighter around Sehun’s shoulders instead. 

"That's what I _told_ him," Baekhyun said, "Like...one moment I'm playing an album of Jongdae's favorite songs wondering if today was the day I’d finally tell the police you were missing, the next there's another power outage. Before I panic, the lights flicker back on, and there’s Jongdae sitting up straight with his whole body glowing and electricity crackling _everywhere._ ”

"I couldn't get it to stop for ten minutes," Jongdae admitted, returning his hands to his lap, "Electricity kept shooting from my hands, but eventually it stopped when I thought of you." 

"Then he asked where you were," Baekhyun said with a wince, "and then I had to explain why you weren't here, why you had been gone for weeks." 

"Yeah, maybe I should've stayed in bed," Jongdae said, "but the second I heard you were taken...I knew I had to find you and bring you back home. Whoever it was under that mask should've been lucky I didn't kill him." 

"How did you know where to look?" Sehun asked, scooting closer as he leaned on Jongdae’s shoulder.

"I…hacked the cams around the city until I found you," Baekhyun said, "the footage of you taken was deleted, so I had to manually find the disks so I could recover what had happened.”

“You…hacked the security footage for me?” Sehun asked.

“Please,” Baekhyun said, “I would’ve found you a lot sooner, but wherever he kept you blocked your signal from the suit. We were lucky he took you outside because only then was I able to trace you.”

“Thank you, Baekhyun,” Sehun smiled. 

“It was all Jongdae,” Baekhyun shrugged, “Once I gave him the location, he just fucking...jumped out of the window and took off. What the fuck." 

“I didn’t know I could fly until I jumped off that roof and didn’t plummet straight to my death,” Jongdae said, “and I also didn’t know I could hurtle lightning until I saw him standing over you like that.”

Electricity crackled out of his fist as he clenched it. As Sehun reached out to hold Jongdae’s hand, the sparks fizzled out.

“Who even was he?” Jongdae asked, relaxing as Sehun rubbed the skin of his hand with his thumb, “Who even has the _audacity_ to do all of that to you?” 

"He calls himself Godspeed," Sehun said after a pause. He glanced at Jongdae and concluded this was not the best time to tell him the man responsible for all of this was Jongdae’s mentor, the man he had looked up to for half his life. "And he has a new costume."

"Dr. Lee is missing," Jongdae said, "Godspeed has him." 

"Jongdae..." Sehun said, exchanging a look with Baekhyun. Baekhyun shook his head, so Sehun stayed quiet.

"I recovered footage of Godspeed snatching Dr. Lee from his office the day you met him," Baekhyun said.

"What did you meet him for?" Jongdae asked.

"What would he want from him?" Sehun asked instead, pretending like he didn't hear the question. He bit his tongue, thinking how ridiculous he must have seemed when he so confidently named Godspeed as Dr. Lee.

"I don't know," Baekhyun said, "but our first priority is finding who Godspeed is. Then we can take him down."

"Where did he keep you? Anything you remember can help us piece together a suspect list,” Jongdae said. His voice was soft, as he tried to be gentle with Sehun, but there was a storm manifesting behind Jongdae’s eyes, lightning threatening to snap out of his words.

"I don't know," Sehun said, "It seemed like a spare bedroom. But he was smart enough to have lasers to prevent me from phasing through the walls. He also manipulated the oxygen levels of the room and kept them low so I couldn’t use my speed much.”

"He _what?_ " Jongdae said, raising his voice.

“He _what_?” Baekhyun echoed at a louder volume.

Sehun knew Jongdae and Baekhyun would get angry regardless, so he continued speaking, but it was obviously the wrong choice.

"Then he brought me to a warehouse and drugged me often so I wouldn't escape," Sehun said in a smaller voice. 

Jongdae leapt to his feet and paced around the room. Sparks singed the floor, leaving a trail of electric footprints as Jongdae walked around. As he muttered the same five words over and over and over again, his body began to glow. 

_I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him..._

Sehun took this opportunity to scoot next to Baekhyun who looked at him like he had looked when he raced back home after Jongdae had been struck by lightning.

"Are you okay now?" Baekhyun quietly said, "I'm so sorry...if I tried harder to look for you, then—" 

"It's okay," Sehun said, "Jongdae found me thanks to you. I’m fine now. Really.”

Baekhyun did not look convinced, so Sehun quickly changed the subject. 

“I thought Dr. Lee was Godspeed?” Sehun said, lowering his voice, mindful of how close Jongdae was to them, “I thought…we knew who he was?” 

"That's what I thought until I found that footage," Baekhyun whispered back, "I slowed it down and saw Godspeed snatch Dr. Lee away, leaving his office in shambles. I couldn't find where he's keeping Dr. Lee. It must be off the grid, somewhere like where he kept you. None of the cameras picked him up either.”

“Then it’s good I didn’t tell Jongdae the guy he almost killed was…Dr. Lee,” Sehun said, watching Jongdae continue to pace around. The lamp flickered on and off as Jongdae walked past it.

“We’re going to find him,” Jongdae finally said, returning to squeeze himself between Baekhyun and Sehun, “Did he tell you anything about his plans? What he wants to do?”

Sehun recalled everything Godspeed had told him with that metallic voice scraping through every word and tearing through every syllable.

“He’s been creating damage just to save people from it to frame himself as a hero,” Sehun said, “and he was going to do something tonight to frame on me…the Flash. Before you stopped him.”

“So he’s still trying to ruin the Flash’s reputation,” Baekhyun said.

“How much did I miss?” Jongdae asked.

“A lot,” Baekhyun said, “we’ll fill you in later. But look.” 

He opened a few programs on his laptop before typing rapidly, retrieving whatever he wanted to show them.

“I’ve been scanning the available footage for any moments he was caught on camera taking off his mask,” he said. Sehun blinked as a blur of pictures and footage appeared on the screen. “He’s been careful, but I have one frame that might help.”

He stopped the program and enlarged a screencap, revealing the back of his head. The man had black hair, average ears, and there were no moles, birthmarks, or tattoos to make identifying him easier.

It could be anyone.

“I’ll run it against every single person in the city to see what comes up, but it’ll take a while if I’m going through every camera that exists,” Baekhyun said, pulling his laptop back towards him.

“Thanks for doing this, Baekhyun,” Sehun smiled. Baekhyun nodded once and refocused his attention on the task he charged himself with.

Jongdae grew restless and stood up after a while, snapping his fingers to create sparks he tossed between his hands. Sehun watched him as he continued to play with electricity, mesmerized by the lights, the man in front of him. He could not take his eyes off of Jongdae and wondered if he had been dreaming. It had felt only like yesterday that Jongdae had been laying on the bed, halfway to death. And now? Now, there he was. Alive. Here. _Here_. 

Jongdae ordered pizza that night, causing their phone to overheat and almost explode as he tried to place a simple call. Baekhyun snatched the phone from Jongdae’s hands, fanned air at the sparking socket, and continued the order in a completely normal voice.

Half an hour later, they had gathered on the couch, each grabbing a large slice of pizza. Baekhyun had ordered five pizzas, knowing Sehun was probably starving, and he was right. Sehun inhaled a whole pizza in ten seconds and slowed down when he took his next slice so he could enjoy dinner with Jongdae and Baekhyun. As they took their bites of pizza, lifting their slices into the air as the cheese stretched with them, they turned on the TV to flip through the channels.

And for the first time in a long time, Sehun felt like everything was fine. Everything was completely fine. There was nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong in his life because Jongdae had woken up. And— 

Then of course, the news channel abruptly switched to an interview conducted by Sunyoung. She had been in the middle of interviewing a meteorologist who had wondered why the rain and heavy storms had disappeared in seconds. Sehun glanced at Jongdae and wondered if he had anything to do with that. When he turned back to the TV, his shoulders tensed as he saw Godspeed enter the frame.

The three of them could do nothing but stare at the TV, waiting for what Godspeed would do next.

“Sorry to interrupt your interview,” Godspeed said.

“You can’t keep barging into the screen like that,” Sunyoung said, wrinkles creasing her expression as she frowned.

“Well, you asked how it was possible for the storms to disappear so quickly,” Godspeed said, “and I’m here to tell you how.” 

“How?” the meteorologist said, leaning forwards in his seat.

Godspeed paused for a second, just to be dramatic, and waited until Sunyoung’s and the meteorologist’s attention was completely on him before he spoke.

“I did it,” Godspeed said with a nod, “It was me. Yes.”

Baekhyun let out a laugh.

“Does he know how fucking ridiculous he sounds?” he loudly said before stuffing his mouth with pizza.

“Hey,” Jongdae said, “this city has plenty enough people who aren’t too bright. I’m sure a few will believe him.” 

“Astounding,” the meteorologist said, “You can control weather, too?” 

“A guy with a PhD just believed him, so there we go,” Jongdae said, raising his hand in the air.

“Just thunder. Just lightning,” Godspeed nodded, flexing his arm to show off electricity crackling from his hand, “That’s all. Nothing big.”

“How do we tell the city he’s a whole, fucking d—” Sehun started to say before Sunyoung’s voice silenced him.

“Well, show us then,” she said, “If you can control lightning, then show us.”

She gestured at him to demonstrate, but Godspeed froze. 

“Well, I…” Godspeed said, beginning to backtrack, “I would love to, but the true reason why I’m here is to announce my hero name.”

Sunyoung looked into the camera with a very weary expression before returning her attention to the people in front of her.

“You’ve had three weeks to tell us your name,” Sunyoung said, “But you’re telling us only now? In the middle of someone else’s interview?”

“Yes,” Godspeed said, “presumptuous, I know. But I figured I would be important enough to—”

“Sorry. If I’m understanding right…it took you three weeks to come up with a name?” the meteorologist asked.

Godspeed let out a long sigh and stood up.

“The point is,” he said, placing his hands on his hips, small tendrils of electricity crackling from his body, “I’m Godspeed, and it is my pleasure to save this city every day.”

“Thanks,” Sunyoung flatly said, not sounding very thankful at all, “Are you…finished?”

Godspeed paused, as if he hadn’t anticipated such a frosty reaction, but nevertheless, he nodded. 

“I will see you the next time there’s danger. Stay safe,” he said.

“Or I’ll see the Flash,” Sunyoung said.

Godspeed tilted his head and let out a laugh. 

“Brave of you to assume the Flash cares about you. I’m right here, and yet you’d rather believe in him?” Godspeed said before darting off.

Sunyoung stared at the camera for a second longer before the interview slowly resumed. They watched for a minute longer before Baekhyun turned off the TV. 

“How…does anyone take him seriously?” Baekhyun asked.

“He can be threatening when he wants,” Sehun admitted, “but I guess he’s still trying to win public favor.”

“He’s like an inexperienced politician who doesn’t realize he isn’t as charismatic as he needs to be,” Jongdae said, reaching for another slice of pizza.

“So what now?” Baekhyun said, “Does the Flash beat him in hand to hand combat, one on one to put him in his place?”

Sehun winced, remembering all those messy fights he had initiated with Godspeed. Seulgi would be disappointed if he told her all of them ended with him knocked unconscious.

“I don’t know…” Sehun said, “If I’m honest, he’s a good fighter. Or at least he fights dirty to win at any cost.”

“That’s why I’ll be here with you the next time,” Jongdae said, “I’ll hit him with a little bit of this, and _this_ , while you attack him with your speed, and we’ll have him in the ground in no time.”

He emphasized his point by jabbing the air twice, shooting bursts of electricity out of his fists. He underestimated the force of his sparks, and two seconds later, two spots on the wall in front of them were on fire. Baekhyun yelped and leapt to his feet, fanning the flames with an empty pizza box. Sehun sent a burst of wind towards the wall with a quick spin of his hand and immediately smothered out the flames.

“ _Jongdae_ ,” Baekhyun said, dropping the pizza box as he grabbed his head with his hands, staring at the two black scorch marks on the wall.

“Sorry,” Jongdae grinned, not looking very sorry at all, “I guess I’ll have to work on that.”

“If the landlord finds out what we did to his wall,” Baekhyun said, “he’ll—”

Three loud knocks interrupted Baekhyun’s words. A loud voice demanded to know what they were doing inside there.

“How does he find out so quickly?” Baekhyun harshly whispered. The knocking continued, and the voice continued to call out to them. “One of you answer the door.”

“I’m supposed to be in a coma,” Jongdae said, leaning sideways so he lay in Sehun’s lap.

“I’m supposed to be missing,” Sehun said, blurring his body to conceal himself.

Baekhyun slowly shook his head as he stared at them.

“You two are so lucky I love you,” Baekhyun said, stomping across the room, “I love you more than I fear our landlord.”

With that, he took a deep breath and opened the door just a crack. Sehun had no desire to listen to Baekhyun’s conversation with the landlord, so he slid down the couch to avoid being seen. He looked down at Jongdae and sighed. Jongdae reached up to touch Sehun’s cheeks, so Sehun slowed down, revealing his face once more, and leaned into Jongdae’s touch.

“Jongdae?” Sehun asked.

Jongdae hummed in response, blinking up at Sehun, waiting for him to continue.

“When you jumped in front of the lightning bolt…” Sehun began to say a little softer. He paused for a second, debating whether or not to ask if it had been his own fault before he shook the thought from his mind and said this instead. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Sehun,” Jongdae smiled, “and besides. You did it for me first.”

Jongdae sat up and slid onto Sehun’s lap, throwing his arms around Sehun’s neck to support himself. He had often told Sehun his lap was the best place to sit, but Sehun had disagreed. How could that be when Jongdae’s lap was the better place, the best place to sit?

“Were you afraid?” Sehun asked, placing his arms around Jongdae’s waist.

Jongdae leaned in closer, his breath tickling Sehun’s skin.

“I didn’t have time to be afraid, to think of anything at all,” Jongdae said, “All I knew was that I’d rather die than let you get hurt.”

Sehun let out a little laugh and leaned forwards so his forehead touched Jongdae’s.

“What’s so funny?” Jongdae said.

“I just,” Sehun shrugged, feeling tears swim in his eyes again, “That’s exactly what I thought when I pushed you out of the way the first time, too.” 

It was Jongdae’s turn to close his eyes for a moment before trying to blink away his own tears. 

“I would do anything for you, Sehun,” Jongdae said, “What is fear when I love you?”

“What’s a coma? What’s cardiac arrest when I love you, too?” Sehun laughed.

They were Jongdae and Sehun, so they could survive lightning, walk off cardiac arrest, and wake up from a coma completely unbothered because they loved more than they felt anything else.

With that, Sehun closed the short distance between them and kissed Jongdae, kissed Jongdae as he felt tears in his eyes, love in his heart, and a slight crackle sparking between their lips. Those weeks he had spent without Jongdae had felt like years, but Sehun had completely forgot the past as he lived in this present moment, as he loved in this present second.

That night, Jongdae, Baekhyun, and Sehun all slept in the same bed like they were high school kids whispering under the covers even though they were supposed to be asleep, like they were college students sprawled over textbooks and slumped against each other after they grew tired of studying, and like it was any average day where they loved each other too much to say good-bye during the night. Sehun took a little longer to fall asleep despite everything he had been through, but as he closed his eyes and listened to their breathing, for the first time in a while he felt that nothing was wrong despite the problems looming over his head.

Because he had his family back. All of them. So he’d be fine.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sure Godspeed was loose in the Central City, and sure it might seem like they were no closer to catching him than they were a month ago. But Jongdae was back, so Sehun felt like he could apprehend Godspeed with a single finger if it came to it. Today, however, he tried again, visited that store again in the hopes that they’d have something new, something worthy of Jongdae.

“Hey,” Sehun said, opening the doors to the store, pausing as the bells chimed to announce his presence, “How are you doing today?” 

“Good,” the clerk said as he looked up at Sehun, “And you? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Sehun resisted the urge to tell him the truth, that some person with delusions of grandeur had held him in his basement for a few weeks.

“Fantastic,” Sehun grinned, pulling up a chair to sit by the counter in front of the clerk. He put his elbows on the display case and rested his face in the palm of his hands. “My boyfriend woke up from his coma, and he’s doing fine.”

More than fine, really. Jongdae could conjure lightning bolts with his fingertips and knock out the city’s power source if he wasn’t careful. They had learned that the hard way after Jongdae had experimented with his powers and ended up causing a citywide blackout. It also seemed he could rapidly heal just like Sehun could, but Sehun was going to stick with fine. Absolutely fine. 

The clerk raised his eyebrows and smiled, leaning over to thump Sehun’s shoulder. 

“I’m so glad to hear that,” he said, “God…what are the odds of both of you getting struck by lightning?”

Sehun shrugged. 

“Guess we’re lucky,” Sehun said, hastily correcting himself after the clerk looked at him shiftily, “to be alive…” 

The clerk stared at him for another moment before he relaxed and prodded Sehun’s shoulder with a finger. 

“Are you going to buy something this time or loiter around my store and fog up my display glass again?” he asked. 

“Do you have anything new today?” Sehun asked. If the chair were high enough, he would have swung his legs around. 

“Yeah,” the clerk said, “but I know you won’t like any of them.” 

“Why not?” Sehun asked, “I haven’t even seen them yet.” 

“Because you’ve been coming here for almost two years and you haven’t liked anything here,” the clerk sighed tapping the glass. “I’ll be back. Just sit tight.” 

Sehun waited, looking around the store while the clerk retrieved some new merchandise from the back. The clerk kept his store spotless. The marble floors were polished so Sehun could see his own reflection if he looked closely enough, the pictures that hung around the wall were completely dust free, and not even a single fingerprint could be found on the display cases.

About three minutes later, the clerk returned with the new merchandise and carefully laid them out on top of the display case. Sehun took his time to examine each one carefully, but after fifteen minutes, he knew. With a sigh, he looked up at the clerk and shook his head. 

“Thought so,” the clerk clucked his tongue, crossing his arms. 

“Well,” Sehun said beginning to slide off the chair, “I’ll be back again, so hopefully you’ll have something new soon.” 

He wanted the best for Jongdae, so only the best would do. And these weren’t the best. 

“Wait,” the clerk said, raising a hand to stop Sehun from leaving, “I knew this would happen, and you’ve been here for so long without anything that I…custom made one for you. Based on everything you liked and everything you didn’t about what you’ve seen here.”

Sehun’s expression lit up, and he leaned against the counter. 

“You did?” he asked, “for me?” 

“For _me_ ,” the clerk let out a little laugh, “so you can stop coming here and making me feel bad that you don’t like anything I sell.”

“Hey, I like coming here to see you,” Sehun said, “and the one time I was about to buy something, you sold it to someone else.” 

“You were in a coma for nine months,” the clerk said, “business is business.”

Sehun pouted, causing the clerk to hastily pick up the products he had shown Sehun and hurry into the back.

“Just wait,” he called as he disappeared into the back, “I’ll bring out what I’ve been working on.”

Sehun squirmed as he waited, tapping his fingers on the glass and bouncing his leg. This had to be the one…this had to be the one…this had to be the one… 

And when the clerk laid it out in front of him, it was.

“Please tell me this is it,” the clerk said, watching Sehun carefully. 

Just like Sehun could take one glance at Jongdae and know in a second he wanted to spend the rest of his life together, he looked at this and knew it was the right one.

“This is perfect,” Sehun grinned.

“So you’ll take it? For real?” the clerk said, raising his crossed fingers in the air.

“Yeah,” Sehun smiled, “I’ll take this ring.”

If Jongdae was to wear this on his finger for the rest of his life, assuming Sehun was lucky enough, then it had to be perfect. Something Jongdae would love.

“Oh thank God,” the clerk said, sagging against the counter, “Finally.”

Sehun picked up the ring and examined the silver band again. Little golden lightning bolts studded with tiny diamonds decorated the sides while a larger red ruby was embedded in the center. Nothing but the best for Jongdae after all. Even if it would break his bank account.

But then he froze. 

“What if he says no?” Sehun asked, panicking as he closed the ring in his fist, “What if he doesn’t even want to get married? I mean we’ve talked about it already, but what _if_ —”

“He will,” the clerk said without looking up as he typed some numbers into a calculator, “Trust me. He seems like a smart guy. And a smart guy like him wouldn’t be stupid to give up on a life with you especially if you’ve both talked about it.” 

“But…” Sehun said, feeling his heart race faster than an average human’s normal pulse, “then what if I mess up when I propose? Everything has to be perfect. It’s for Jongdae after all, and I don’t trust myself to speak without messing up. Just imagine me in a high pressure situation.” 

“Listen,” the clerk said, raising his left hand in the air, “do you see this ring?”

Sehun quieted as he looked at his hand, and sure enough, there was a simple golden band with a diamond across the clerk’s fourth finger. 

“Want to know how I got it?” the clerk said.

Sehun nodded.

“So my boyfriend at the time comes home smashing drunk one night…and he tells me he just knocked back like five shots. First of all, the fool doesn’t even drink. And second of all, he said he had only done it so he could have the courage to do this,” the clerk said, leaning back on the counter and staring off in the distance with a smile on his face, “so I ask him hey. What the fuck are you talking about? Then he drops to the floor and gets on one knee, but he falls flat on his face because I _just_ cleaned the hardwood floor, and his drunken limbs and socks were not a good combination.” 

Sehun laughed. 

“And then what?” he said, relaxing slightly.

“So I’m here holding this mop thinking _oh my god_ is he finally going to clean the floors like I asked him to,” the clerk continued, “but no…he gets up off the floor and there’s tears in his fucking eyes and I’m like _holy shit_. Did that fall really hurt? So I bend down and ask him what’s wrong and where did it hurt and do I need to burn the floor in retribution.”

“And then what?” Sehun asked even though he could guess.

“And then he pulls out a box like this,” the clerk said, pulling a tiny box from behind the counter. He held it up for Sehun to see before placing it on the counter. “He opens it and starts rambling with words so slurred that I can’t understand him half the time. Really, looking back it was a terrible proposal. But what did I do? Shut him up, kiss him, and jam that ring on my own damn finger because _finally_ I get to marry the man of my dreams, a man I’ll never leave even if he threw up near my feet two seconds after I said yes." 

“Wow,” Sehun said as he clapped, “That’s true love right there. What’s your husband’s name?”

“Chanyeol,” the clerk said, “he runs a—” 

“Bakery,” Sehun said, straightening up in his seat, “Park Chanyeol? I’ve interviewed him before for an article.”

“You have?” the clerk said, raising his eyebrows, “Damn. Then invite both of us to your wedding, what the fuck. He can make your wedding cake.” 

“If I get married,” Sehun said. 

The clerk sighed and leaned across the counter.

“It all comes down to these questions, my guy. Is what you have real? Do you wake up every morning hating that you have to leave him for the day? Does everything make sense when he’s with you? Do you love him? Does he love you, too?” the clerk said, raising a finger in the air for every question he asked.

“Yeah,” Sehun said.

Yes, what they had was real, realer than anything he had ever known. Yes, he woke up every morning hating the moment they’d have to part, waiting for the moment they’d come back together. Yes, everything made sense when he was with Jongdae. What was pain when Jongdae was here? Loneliness? Everything irrelevant lost their meaning while the things that mattered like love, like family, like life made sense when he was here. And yes. Of course he loved him. He loved him more than anything he could think of. And Jongdae loved him, too. 

Always.

“Then I don’t know what the fuck your problem is,” the clerk said, throwing his hands in the air before passing the bill over to Sehun, “You love him and he loves you, so go for it. And send me an invitation. I want to see the wedding of the guy whose ring I tried to sell for two years before he forced me to finally make it myself.” 

“Thank you so much,” Sehun said with a smile. He didn’t look at the bill because he didn’t want to see all those zeroes, so he placed his credit card on top of the check and pushed it back.

“No problem, Flash,” the clerk said as he swiped Sehun’s card, placing his hand by the cash register, waiting to snatch the receipt up after it printed.

Sehun looked up at him in panic, unprepared by the sudden comment. He thought of a few excuses…a _no what are you talking about_ , a _haha that’s very funny_ , or even a simple _I have no idea what you’re talking about_. But as Sehun fought to say anything at all, the clerk only studied his expression and cracked a smile as he continued watching him struggle.

“ _Please_ ,” the clerk said, “You were gone for nine months in a coma, and the second you wake up, the Flash appears? Come on. It’s you.”

Sehun opened his mouth, debating whether or not to deny anything, whether or not to tell him it was a coincidence or not.

“Don’t worry,” the clerk said, snatching the receipt out of the cash register before passing it and a pen to Sehun, “I won’t tell anyone.” 

Sehun still couldn’t respond and signed his name with shaking hands as the clerk carefully put the ring in a box and placed it in a small bag.

“Thanks for everything you do for the city,” the clerk smiled, “I don’t believe in much, but I do believe in you.” 

Sehun glanced at the clerk’s expression, and he didn’t look like he was lying. He felt a smile tug at his own lips, and he gave in. 

“Thanks, Kyungsoo,” Sehun smiled.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun went to work the next morning with the ring stowed in his pocket. Of course that seemed like a bad idea since he could lose it, so halfway through his walk to work, he moved it to his bag when he was waiting to pick up his coffee. He couldn’t leave it at home in case Jongdae found it, so it was probably safer if he kept it with him. That was, if he didn’t lose it. 

But how would he propose? Under the moonlight with flowers spelling out Jongdae’s name? Wait for a thunderstorm and ask him as the rain poured down on their faces as lightning struck around them? Whisk him off to Paris before he could blink and propose next to the Eiffel Tower? There were so many possibilities, and Sehun didn’t know what to do. 

He reluctantly had other things to think about, too, even if all he preferred to think about was Jongdae. 

Like Godspeed. 

Whose identity they still didn’t know. 

Baekhyun’s program was running slowly, and at the height of his powers if he had all his tech he used to have, he could’ve found Godspeed’s identity by now. But he was easing back into this, the thing that scared him. Scarred him. Sehun wanted to ask him how he felt, but he didn’t know…how.

And it seemed, when he finally went back to work after a few days of rest and recovery, he had even bigger problems to think about. He just didn’t know it at first because he was stunned when the elevator doors first opened and his co-workers greeted him like this. 

“Oh, you’re back!” 

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.” 

“If you’re still contagious, get away from me.” 

“I heard Jongdae’s awake. Good.” 

Based on all these reactions, it seemed that Baekhyun had told everyone that he was dying of some terrible flu or rare disease. After hearing all the commotion, Joohyun peeked her head out of their office down the hallway and gasped before running down the hall, her heels clicking on the marble before she launched herself at him. 

“You’re back,” she said, “I was so worried…Baekhyun told me that—” 

Then she stopped, as if remembering that they were around people who did not need to know that Godspeed took him. 

“How are you?” Sehun asked once Joohyun released him from her grasp, “How have you been?” 

“I should be asking _you_ that,” Joohyun said, looking around before guiding Sehun back to their office, “I heard that—” 

Before they could take another step forwards, they heard a clear, loud voice that made them stop in their tracks.

“You two. My office. Now.” 

Sehun turned around to find Qian standing across the hallway with her hands on her hips. She didn’t frown, not a single wrinkle pulled down her expression, and she kept her countenance carefully neutral. 

Joohyun and Sehun exchanged a look, both realizing that they were fucked, before Joohyun strode forwards. Sehun trailed behind, less certain of what was to come. 

They followed her into her office and took their seats in silence. After closing the door behind her, Qian sat down in her big, leather chair, folding her hands together before placing them on top of her desk. 

“I have been meaning to have this conversation weeks ago, but since you’ve been out of the office so often with Jongdae hurt and you sick,” Qian said, gesturing at Sehun, “I’ve been lenient. But this cannot wait any longer.” 

“What did I do?” Sehun asked, resisting the urge to sink into his seat. 

“What did you two do?” Qian corrected. Now she raised her eyebrows. “You really can’t guess why I brought you both in here?” 

“It isn’t to say we’ve been doing well. Is it?” Sehun asked. He squirmed, suddenly reminded of the time he was called into the principal’s office with Jongdae after it was clear Sehun had received outside help on his science experiment because it was too advanced for a fifth grader. 

“Absolutely not,” Qian said, before turning to Joohyun, “I should hope you know why.” 

Joohyun paused to sit up straighter, placing her hands on her lap. 

“First of all,” Joohyun said, “it wasn’t Sehun’s fault. It was my idea, and I’ll take all the blame.” 

Sehun cast an odd glance in her direction. What was her fault? 

Qian stared at her long and hard and shook her head. 

“You’re telling me he had no idea that you’ve been writing under his name this whole time? I assigned the Flash articles to him, not you. So he hasn’t been doing his work, and you did…all of this? Without telling me?” Qian said before turning to Sehun, who had quickly realized exactly what this was about. 

“I gave those articles to you because I thought you were one of our best writers and you could handle your regular column on top of those,” Qian said with a sigh, “If you couldn’t, then why didn’t you just tell me? Why did you let Joohyun write for you?” 

“Sorry,” Sehun said in a small voice. He was fighting to think of an excuse, but there wasn’t really anything to say.

“He didn’t make me do anything,” Joohyun said, trying to keep calm. Sehun couldn’t look at Qian directly and glanced over, finding Joohyun’s hands balled up into shaking fists. “I wanted to write, so I asked to write his articles and borrow his name. Since I’m just an editor.” 

This was a lie, but was the truth any better? That Sehun couldn’t write about himself because he was the Flash? That he didn’t bother checking why his article was already submitted and allowed someone else to write under his name? 

“If you want to write, then write,” Qian curtly said, “I won’t stop you. But you’re an editor first. One who answers to me. You can’t just do whatever you want here. We function on a highly organized level, and communication is key.” 

“Then maybe I should start a newspaper with Sehun,” Joohyun said, crossing her arms over her chest. Sehun’s eyes widened, and he turned to shoot her a look. Now was not the time to suggest alternative jobs when Qian was this mad. 

“You’re free to go if you want,” Qian said, gesturing at the door, “You’re a good editor, but I won’t stop you from walking out of here if that’s what you want.” 

Sehun, who had just murdered his bank account, could not financially or emotionally handle losing his job right now, so he sat up straight and tried to do some damage control. 

“I’ll take full responsibility,” he earnestly said, “this was my fault, and I’m sorry for not telling you what we planned. It won’t happen again. We will absolutely tell you what other things we’ll do in the future…not that we’re planning to do anything that you might disapprove of. Anyways, the point is…is that we both love our jobs and we’ll do better in the future. Sorry again.” 

Qian tilted her head as she listened to Sehun speak and opened her mouth. Sehun knew it. She was going to fire him right here, right now. Or remove him from his column. Or demote him. Or suspend him without pay. But luckily before Qian could speak, her secretary chose this exact moment to knock on the door three times before pushing it open. 

“Qian, the Mayor is here to meet with you,” she said, “Should I send him in now?” 

“Oh, yes,” Qian said, hastily standing up and walking towards the door. Just as she was half way across the room, she remembered who was still in her office and looked back. 

“This isn’t over,” she said, pointing to the both of them, “I’ll discuss disciplinary action after.” 

Before Sehun and Joohyun could reply, the mayor walked into the room with a beaming smile. The frown on Qian’s face dropped off immediately as she returned his smile. 

“Mayor Kim!” she said, stretching out her hand, “How are you doing?” 

“I’m good, Qian,” he said, grasping her hand, “This is just a social call. Your father and I were playing golf the other day, and he mentioned that—” 

Joohyun and Sehun took that as their chance to escape, and they held their breath as they skirted past the mayor and Qian. As soon as they shut the door lightly behind them, Sehun sagged against the wall, clutching at his heart. 

“New newspaper?” Sehun said, glancing at Joohyun, “Really? You chose that moment to tell her that?” 

Joohyun shrugged. 

“I’d rather quit than wait for her to fire us,” she said, tugging on his arm and leading him back to their office. 

“Do you think she’ll fire us?” Sehun asked. 

“I don’t know. But it’s not like we plagiarized or anything. What’s the worst that could happen?” she said. Sehun reached out to open the door, waiting for Joohyun to enter before following her. 

“Hopefully a little suspension or something,” he sighed, “I just bought a ring, so I can’t afford to be jobless right now.” 

He had said it so casually as he walked to his desk that he didn't even register Joohyun stopping, her hands flying up to her mouth. 

"Is that...what I think it is? Is that ring for who I think it is?" she said in a hushed voice. 

“Yeah,” Sehun smiled, “It is.” 

Joohyun spent the next few minutes hugging him and conveying her excitement, telling him she already had a few recommendations for a venue if Sehun needed a place to start, saying that it would be so lovely to see everyone together again for the wedding.

As Sehun listened to her recommend a baker for his wedding cake, who was coincidentally Park Chanyeol, he studied her smile, the way her eyes shone, and wondered why she was like this. He hadn’t even asked yet. Jongdae hadn’t even said yes. Yet. Yet? So why was everyone so happy over a ring? The time to be happy was after. After they caught Godspeed. After Central City was saved. After Jongdae said yes. And after all of that, then they could celebrate. 

Then Joohyun asked him how he was going to propose, and Sehun paused. 

“I don’t know,” Sehun admitted, “It has to be nice…Something meaningful. Something I can’t screw up.” 

“You’ll be fine,” Joohyun said, “Jongdae would love anything even if you asked him in the middle of Jitter’s at 8AM. Not that…you would do that, right?” 

“No,” Sehun shook his head, “could you imagine? I’d confess my feelings for him so loudly that they’d have to kick me out.” 

“Yeah that’s what I thought,” Joohyun said with a laugh. 

"Do you want to see the ring?" Sehun asked, pulling the box out of his bag. He didn’t wait for an answer and opened it to show Joohyun. 

"You kept it with you?" Joohyun asked, admiring the ring. 

"I mean," Sehun shrugged, "I don't know when I'll ask or how I'll ask, but at least he won't find it in my bag, right?"

"It's beautiful," Joohyun said. She picked up the box to take a closer look. "It's very Jongdae. It suits you two, and I'm sure he'll love it. How did you find it?" 

"I loitered in a ring store for two years, passing on every single ring that I saw until the clerk took pity on me and custom made it for Jongdae," Sehun said. 

Joohyun smiled and handed it back. 

"I can't wait for your wedding," she said, finally sitting down. 

Sehun bit back the urge to ask her what if Jongdae wouldn’t say yes and sat down. 

"I wish I had time to think about that more," Sehun said, pulling out his laptop before finally sitting down. As long as he wasn’t fired or suspended, he’d still work. But even if he was fired or suspended, he’d still write. No matter what. "But Godspeed is still out there. And he still has plans for the city." 

"Oh. Right," Joohyun said. The cheerful expression faded from her face. "What...happened? All Baekhyun told me was that Godspeed took you. He didn't know where, but he took you and kept you for weeks." 

Sehun slowly nodded.

"Did he do anything to you?" Joohyun asked, "Do I have to kill him?" 

"He fed me once a day and locked me in a room with low oxygen levels surrounded by dangerous lasers," Sehun said. 

Joohyun couldn’t say anything for a while and only pressed her lips together as she stared out the window. Sehun was about to turn back to her work until she slammed her hand on the desk and swore loudly before launching into a loud, fast-paced rant. Sehun listened to her spit fire, finding that her threats were quite similar to the ones Jongdae and Baekhyun had made. He wondered why all of them had immediately concluded that killing Godspeed was the only option. It wasn’t like Godspeed had murdered him or anyone.

"Tell me everything that happened," Joohyun said, ripping out a piece of paper from her notepad and uncapping her green pen, "every detail of the room, what he said, what he acted like. We'll profile him and find him."

Sehun leaned back into his chair and told her how it had seemed the first place he had been held was some spare bedroom, how the lasers seemed very high tech, and how Godspeed had the time to regularly drug him. Joohyun scratched furious notes into the piece of paper, her mouth sinking down into a scowl especially after hearing how he had been drugged. 

Joohyun then lifted her pen up from the paper, read through what she had wrote, and finally raised the paper in the air and spoke. 

"So he’s arrogant. Rich enough to build this prison into his own home. Rich enough to spend time away from a regular 9 to 5 desk job to drug you often. Rich enough to either make the tech himself or buy it himself. Annoying. Has an ego bigger than the size of the city. And he knows you," she said, looking up from the paper after she was done speaking.

“Write a book, Joohyun,” Sehun said, “Or join the police. You came up with that after only a few pieces of information?”

Joohyun placed the piece of paper on her desk and tapped her pen on the wood.

“Are you implying the police are so incompetent they need an editor to be their criminal profiler?” she asked. 

“No, they need a writer,” Sehun said, “You.”

But he saw the way she had made a face at his words and changed the subject. 

"If Godspeed isn’t Dr. Lee," Sehun said, "Then who is he? Your description narrows down half the city, but how do we find the one person responsible for this?" 

Joohyun suggested a few names. At first, they didn’t take the matter seriously, throwing out names of co-workers they didn’t like, rivals from CC Picture News, loud news anchors that caused them to flip the channel if their broadcast was playing in the break room. Then Sehun trailed off, out of ideas, out of people he knew. Joohyun fell silent, leaning back in her chair as she stared out of the window. She seemed deep in thought, so Sehun let her think in silence. Just as Joohyun opened her mouth about to say something, Sehun's phone buzzed with a message from Baekhyun. 

_Yo. Get back here. Jongdae wants to do something reckless._

Of course. 

If Jongdae ran into hostile police situations without even thinking, then what would he do now that he had powers, now that he could defend himself with a snap of his fingers? Now that the lightning that crackled in his heart burst out of his hands? 

"I've got to go," Sehun said with a sigh, "Jongdae's about to do something...reckless. Or at least that's what Baekhyun said." 

"Stay safe," Joohyun frowned, "Or else."

Sehun nodded. 

Joohyun promised she'd continue working on this profile, musing that if Godspeed knew Sehun, then maybe he'd know her, too. 

After Sehun packed up his things and made sure the clasps on his bag were securely fastened, he wished Joohyun a good rest of the day and disappeared. He was back at Baekhyun's apartment a moment later, kicking off his shoes and dropping down his bag before rushing over to where Baekhyun and Jongdae were. 

"What is this about you doing something reckless?" Sehun asked after Jongdae finished giving him a hello kiss. 

"We found Dr. Lee," Jongdae said. Sehun continued staring at him so he wouldn’t be tempted to exchange a dramatic look with Baekhyun. "He's safe, he's alive, and Baekhyun found where Godspeed was keeping him all this time." 

Jongdae turned to Baekhyun to explain what he had found. 

Baekhyun sighed, pulled up some images on his computer, and began to explain. 

"I've managed to track down the deleted footage and slow down everything until I found where he took Dr. Lee," Baekhyun said. 

"Was he kept here? In the city?" Sehun asked. 

"Yeah," Baekhyun said, "It's on the outskirts of town in an abandoned lab that hasn't been used in years. Honestly it'd make a perfect evil lair...or headquarters if you ask me." 

After a few clicks, he pulled up an exterior view of the lab. No other buildings were in the vicinity. It seemed like a good, private place to do anything without anyone else knowing. Like holding a person hostage. 

"S.T.A.R. Labs," Jongdae said, reading the old, worn down sign outside of the building, "that's where Dr. Lee used to work before it shut down and the rest of its staff moved closer downtown.” 

"And no one...thought to be suspicious of some lab in the middle of nowhere?" Sehun asked, "Why would he pick this place over the same place he kept me?" 

"The point is," Jongdae said, "is that we have to save him." 

"Save him?" Sehun asked, turning his attention away from the screen to look at Jongdae. Sure enough, Jongdae had begun stretching, preparing for a fight. "What if it's a trap? What if he knows that you'd try to save Dr. Lee and send the whole building falling on you when you come?” 

"What if it's not?" Jongdae said, "Dr. Lee is a very intelligent man, so what if Godspeed’s holding him hostage so he can use his intelligence to make something for him at this lab?" 

"Like the lasers," Baekhyun said, snapping his finger, "what if Dr. Lee made them? Or the oxygen deprivation technology?" 

"But we were taken at the same time," Sehun said, "or around the same time. That can't be." 

"Either way," Jongdae said, "We're getting our boss back. Let's save him." 

Sehun stayed silent. He wanted to share his suspicions of Dr. Lee with Jongdae because they always shared everything. But for now, he sealed the secret between his lips and promised himself he’d only tell Jongdae when he knew for sure. 

"So we break into S.T.A.R. Labs, a place that we have no interior visuals on and that may or may not have traps," Sehun said, "And then we steal Dr. Lee back." 

"Yeah," Jongdae said, "That sounds easy since you have super speed." 

"What if Godspeed comes back?" Sehun asked in a slightly softer voice. He wasn’t afraid of Godspeed. Not now at least, but he wasn’t keen on seeing him again so soon after everything had happened 

"Then I'll kill him," Jongdae shrugged. He spoke so easily that Sehun didn’t know if Jongdae was exaggerating or not. The stormy look in his gaze suggested otherwise. "Simple. He hurt you, so I'll hurt him back."

Sehun was touched that Jongdae would do anything for him at any moment without any question, but kill? Jongdae would kill for him? Jongdae hated the man who murdered his parents, and here he was, threatening to kill someone else. The past was alive in Jongdae, haunting his words, his actions, and Sehun was afraid Jongdae would become the very person he spent his life hating. 

"Do you have a suit?" Sehun asked Jongdae. If it came to it, he was sure he could talk Jongdae out of murder. As long as they were together, they could face anything. 

"I haven't had any time to make him one since I didn't know he'd wake up with super powers like _this_ ," Baekhyun said before muttering to himself, "Really...Someone just shoot me with lightning. I can't be the only person without powers." 

"Do you have anything to protect your identity with at least?" Sehun asked. 

"I don't need anything," Jongdae said, waving Sehun off. "I trust Dr. Lee completely, so even if he recognizes me, it'll be fine." 

Sehun couldn't make the face that he wanted to since Jongdae was staring at him, but beside them, Baekhyun wrinkled his nose and pressed his lips together. 

"So the plan," Sehun said. Usually Jongdae or Baekhyun made the plans since his plans never exactly worked out the way he wanted them to, but Sehun wanted to take a little more control since it concerned Dr. Lee. "Is...to go in and go out. We take Dr. Lee, drop him off in the middle of the street before he can recognize you, and go." 

"As long as we get him out safely, it doesn't matter how," Jongdae said. 

Sehun sighed and struggled between two conflicting emotions. Hoping Dr. Lee wasn’t involved with the murder of Jongdae’s parents so Jongdae would be spared the emotional damage that knowledge would cause. And hoping Dr. Lee really was involved so he could name the second killer and give Jongdae the closure he needed. 

"Let’s go,” Sehun gave in. He held onto Jongdae and prepared to run them to S.T.A.R. Labs. 

It took them five seconds to arrive. Two extra seconds because Baekhyun accidentally navigated them off-track. One extra second because Sehun hesitated and looped around the block before finally skidding to a stop. 

The front doors were padlocked with large, rusty chains, and all the windows had been boarded up. Before Jongdae could try blasting his way inside, Sehun took his hand and phased them through the doors. On the other side, they were met with grimy floors, dusty lamps, and a front desk that had been covered with a sheet of plastic. Sehun slowly took a step, eyes darting around the room. What if Godspeed really was there? What if he attacked Jongdae?

“Baekhyun do you have eyes on Dr. Lee?” Jongdae asked as he leaned against the front desk.

“No,” Baekhyun replied, “all the cameras have been turned off. You’d have to turn them on if y—” 

“Locating all cameras and turning all of them on would take too much time,” Jongdae said, and after Sehun gave him a look, amended his statement, “two seconds Sehun could spend switching on cameras could be two seconds Godspeed realizes we’re here and takes him away.” 

“Alright,” Baekhyun sighed, “Well, I’ve found old blueprints of the place, and the pipeline would be a good place to keep someone. You could start looking there.”

Navigating through the streets at high speeds was already difficult for Baekhyun, so guiding Sehun through a lab with no visuals and nothing but blueprints was almost impossible. But after a whole minute of running past the main lab two or three times and getting lost in a circular tunnel, they found the pipeline.

Several smaller labs were hidden in the pipeline, and inside a room that had most likely been used to lock up dangerous or expensive technology sat Dr. Lee. He seemed unharmed, though cowered in the corner, sitting with his knees to his chest.

“Dr. Lee?” Jongdae said as he rushed to the glass and knocked on it. 

Dr. Lee’s eyes widened when saw them and hobbled over to pound on the glass, loudly demanding them to release him. 

"There's a keypad with a passcode," Jongdae said, radiating brighter to illuminate the keypad near the door. 

"I've got this," Sehun said and rapidly began to type in every combination of numbers he could think of. After ten seconds, the door opened and Dr. Lee stumbled out.

"Oh thank God," he said, clutching at his chest, "Thank you Flash and..." 

He stared at Jongdae. 

"Thunder Boy," Jongdae announced, electricity crackling out of his fists. He spoke in a softer voice, tilting his head when Dr. Lee didn’t say anything more, didn’t display any signs of recognition.

"I must have missed a lot," Dr. Lee said, leaning on the glass as he looked around, "I don't remember another hero running around Central City. How long was I gone?" 

"Almost a month," Jongdae said, stepping closer to Dr. Lee and dimming his light. 

“I have to get back,” Dr. Lee said after he gasped.

"We should leave before Godspeed returns," Sehun said, shifting the focus off of Jongdae before he could reveal himself.

At the mention of Godspeed, Dr. Lee lunged forwards and gripped Sehun’s shoulders tightly, using Sehun to support himself as he shifted his weight off of his bad leg.

"Flash, you have to stop him," he said, lowering his voice, "he's planning to attack the city...at...at some event with lots of people." 

"Did he mention any specifics of his plan?" Sehun asked.

"No," Dr. Lee said as he shook his head, "not to me. All I know is that he’s been creating disasters just to save people from them. But he’s talked about a big event…one that will harm as many people as possible."

Sehun fell silent for a moment. What if Godspeed created a disaster that spiraled out of control? Killed people before he could even start saving them?

"Do you know how he got his speed?" Sehun asked, "maybe we can figure out a way to stop him if we know when and how he…” 

Sehun trailed off as he watched Dr. Lee stumble backwards. His back hit the glass behind him and continued to stare at Sehun. 

"I gave it to him," Dr. Lee hoarsely said. 

" _What_?" Sehun asked, "That's impossible. He moves like me, but his speed is fake?" 

“You can't just manufacture speed…can you?” Jongdae asked. 

"After your first sighting, Flash, I was intrigued and began experimenting with substances that could accelerate cells. That's why he took me," Dr. Lee said, his eyes now rapidly darting around the space behind them, "why he needs me. I make his speed for him. 

“How…have you even created such a thing?” Jongdae asked. 

Dr. Lee took a long, ragged breath before he continued speaking. 

“I call it velocity. This is the second version,” he said, pulling out a vial from his pocket and raising it in the air, “V2. It allows its user speed like yours for a short period of time. But he’s overused V2 and grown immune to it. So, I’ve had to create V3, V4….He’s ordered me to work on V9 right now to enable him to run at speeds even faster than you, Flash. But it could kill him.” 

He handed the vial to Sehun. Sehun held it by Jongdae’s light to examine it and remembered seeing a row of these vials in Dr. Lee’s own office. He also remembered similar vials that had fallen out of Godspeed’s pocket while they were fighting. 

“Do you know who he is?” Jongdae asked. 

Dr. Lee averted his gaze and hugged his shoulders. 

“Do you?” Sehun echoed, causing Dr. Lee to look up at him. 

Dr. Lee wrung his hands together as he stared at Sehun. Sehun instinctively blurred his face, not willing to take the chance that Dr. Lee might recognize even a sliver of his jaw. Finally, he nodded slowly. 

“Who?” Sehun asked. 

“He’s…” Dr. Lee said as if he had to strangle the words out of his mouth, “He’s—”

Before he could say a word more, a white blur appeared and snatched Dr. Lee away, leaving Jongdae and Sehun standing alone. 

Jongdae turned to Sehun, eyes wide as he grabbed Sehun’s arm. 

“We have to save him,” Jongdae shouted, “Sehun, _go!_ ” 

Sehun hesitated before taking off, exiting S.T.A.R. Labs before zooming through the city for any sign of them. But there were no white lights, no sign of Godspeed.

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said into his comms as he whirred through the streets, “Anything on the city cams?”

He zigzagged through the alleyways on the east side of town before stopping behind an apartment building. 

“Baekhyun?” Sehun tried again, pressing a hand to his ear, “Are you there?”

But there was only silence. Baekhyun didn’t respond, so Sehun continued his search through the city. Godspeed had only five seconds of a head start, but those five seconds were enough for him to disappear.

After one more second, Sehun gave up and headed back to S.T.A.R. Labs to look for Jongdae.

“Sorry, Jongdae,” Sehun said after finding Jongdae farther down the pipeline, searching for any sign of Dr. Lee in case he had been moved somewhere else in the building, “he’s gone. I couldn’t find them.”

Jongdae blinked, the light disappearing from his body as he processed Sehun’s words. And before Sehun knew it, there Jongdae was. Just Jongdae. The light gone from his body, but never gone from his heart. He ran a hand through his blond hair and wordlessly nodded as he listened to Sehun list every street, every alleyway, every building he checked.

“It’s fine,” Jongdae said at last, his shoulders relaxing, “We know Godspeed needs him, so at least he won’t kill him. Are you okay?” 

“Yes. Are you?” he asked back. Jongdae paused before reaching forwards to clutch Sehun’s arm.

“Can you take me home?” Jongdae asked. He looked like how he would look every year after packing away the boxes of evidence from his parent’s murder. 

Sehun picked Jongdae up, making sure he was comfortable in his arms. Jongdae closed his eyes and leaned closer to Sehun who became distracted by Jongdae’s cheeks, his eyelashes, and his lips. 

“I can feel you staring,” Jongdae smiled, his lips curling up, “We’ll be here forever.” 

“What’s wrong with forever?” Sehun asked. 

He was tempted to drop on one knee right here, but he had forgotten the ring. Maybe he should carry it with him at all times. 

“Let’s go home,” Jongdae said, lightly tapping Sehun’s arm as he yawned. 

Sehun couldn’t resist and stole a kiss before zooming off, careful to avoid oncoming cars, trucks, buildings. A second later, they arrived in Baekhyun’s apartment. Sehun gently put Jongdae down. He stretched as Jongdae pulled the cowl off of Sehun’s head. 

“Guys,” a voice said. 

Baekhyun sat by his desk, expression stony, jaw slack. 

“Are you all right?” Sehun asked as they approached him, “You didn’t answer the comms.” 

“I…” Baekhyun said, staring into nowhere. Jongdae touched his shoulder, and he finally spoke. “Facial recognition came back. I know who Godspeed is.” 

There was no time to ask when Baekhyun had found out, no time to even cry out _who_? Because when Baekhyun switched applications on his computer to show a grainy screenshot of someone stepping out of a car, everyone froze for a long moment as they stared at that neatly ironed suit, that tidy haircut, that smile. 

Junmyeon. 

“I’m going to kill him,” Jongdae broke the silence as he sharply inhaled and slammed his hand on the desk, rattling the pink corgi mugs that Baekhyun had placed around his monitor. “I knew it. I never liked him.” 

But none of them had known. 

Not even Sehun. 

Sehun stared at the photo one more time before he sank to the floor and stared at the rug by Baekhyun’s chair. 

“This makes sense,” Sehun slowly said, “He’s rich enough to have the money to buy all the tech he needed, the time to keep drugging me, and the power to make everything disappear if he gets caught.” 

“Is this why he visited Dr. Lee so often?” Jongdae said, “We used to see him walking around the labs…He must’ve found out what Dr. Lee was experimenting on.” 

“He’s always wanted to be on the headlines. This is how he does it,” Sehun said. He had been blinded by the grief of losing Jongdae to a coma and his preexisting bias against Dr. Lee that he hadn’t realized there was someone else who had fit Joohyun’s profile all along. Someone with a better motive, better means to pull off these schemes. 

“Now that we know who he is, let’s stop him,” Baekhyun said.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Those were big words.

Because how? Stopping Godspeed was one thing, but stopping Junmyeon? He had privilege, power, money, his father was the mayor, and he knew who Sehun was. Even if they leaked Godspeed’s identity to the media, they wouldn’t believe a low quality photo of the back of Junmyeon’s head, would they? Junmyeon’s father would cover everything up wouldn’t he? 

So all they did, for the moment, was go back to work and pretend like everything was fine. Pretend that they had never learned Godspeed’s identity. This was easy for Sehun since he himself hid a similar secret from the city. But what the hardest thing for him to keep quiet about nowadays was the ring. 

He had debated keeping it in his pocket, but what if he lost it? What if he got mugged? That should have been the least of his worries considering the powers he had, but Sehun was not taking any chances. After debating all of his options, he finally decided to string the ring on a necklace his parents had given him and wear it around his neck. 

And today as Jongdae walked him to work, he wondered if that, too, was a mistake. 

“Can’t be late to work if Dr. Lee isn’t there,” Jongdae cheerfully said as they continued walking down the street. 

Sehun couldn’t complain. 

Because he was worried that Jongdae could see the little circular bump that appeared on the upper part of his chest. Why had he worn such a thin button-up shirt? Sehun usually wore his shirts with the top few buttons undone, so what if Jongdae asked him why his shirt was buttoned all the way up to his neck? 

As Jongdae chattered about how he was working to improve his aim while shooting lightning and swung their clasped hands around, Sehun was wondering if his hand was as sweaty as he thought. 

Sehun wondered when would even be the right time to ask Jongdae. Before they stopped Godspeed? After they stopped Godspeed? After they found the second killer? 

Right now? 

He could eliminate all possibilities of Jongdae discovering the ring if he revealed it this very second after all. Sehun stopped in his tracks, feeling the words of something, the desire to do something paralyze him. 

“Sehun?” Jongdae said when Sehun didn’t take the next step forwards, “What’s wrong?” 

“I…” Sehun said, using his other finger to tug at the collar of his neck. But that would draw attention to his neck, so he dropped his hands to his side. His heart pounded against his chest, the words screaming to escape from his throat. 

“Your face is red,” Jongdae said, placing the back of his hand on Sehun’s cheeks and then his forehead, “Are you all right? Do you want to take another sick day?” 

Sehun shook his head. Baekhyun had excused the lengthy period Sehun had spent with Godspeed as sick leave, so he was officially out of sick days. 

“I…” Sehun said. How could he properly profess how Jongdae made him feel when words were inadequate? When everything was so inadequate because Jongdae was the best part of his life? He opened his mouth to speak, but at the last minute, he choked. 

“I just wanted to say you look really good today. Extra good. Really especially good,” Sehun stammered instead. 

“Oh, do I?” Jongdae asked, the edges of his lips curling up more, “Is this why you’re so red? Maybe you should undo a button or two. Or three. Or all.” 

Jongdae reached forwards, to lightly touch Sehun’s face. Sehun made the mistake of looking down in an attempt to escape Jongdae’s gaze and was choking for a different reason now when he saw Jongdae’s arms. It was Jongdae’s fault that he was wearing a tank top that so wonderfully displayed his big biceps and a sliver of his sides. 

Jongdae leaned in, lips brushing against Sehun’s ear. 

“Tonight,” he said, his voice causing Sehun to shiver. 

After leaning back, Jongdae tilted his head, examined Sehun’s flushed cheeks, and let out a little laugh before tugging his arm. 

“Come on,” he said. Sehun stumbled forwards and walked beside Jongdae. 

New plan. 

He’d have to move the ring to his bag if Jongdae wanted to greet him at the door and place his hands all over him tonight. 

Jongdae innocently pretended as if nothing had happened, that everything was completely normal as they picked up their morning coffee and took their time to reach Sehun’s building. They didn’t talk about Godspeed, didn’t talk about Junmyeon, didn’t talk about the Flash or Thunder Boy. 

But they talked about life. 

The future. 

Jongdae told Sehun he had booked a dinner reservation for them since too much time had passed without date night. Sehun suggested a hike around the trails sometime soon. Jongdae whined, complained that he was much more of an indoor person. But after Sehun had dropped his bottom lip into the slightest pout, Jongdae agreed. Because was there anything he wouldn’t do for Sehun? Was there anything at all they wouldn’t do for each other? 

A minute later, they pushed through the golden doors of Central City Times and took the elevator up to Sehun’s floor. As the elevator opened, accompanied by a soothing, familiar ding, they walked out, greeted by Sehun’s co-workers. They were just in the middle of discussing what they wanted to have for dinner tonight before they walked by a reporter’s desk and. Froze. 

Someone dressed in a suit with his back turned to them was loudly discussing something with the reporter who looked like she would much rather be anywhere else than here.

Junmyeon. 

Sehun looked beside him and found Jongdae tightly clenching his fists. 

“That’s ridiculous,” Junmyeon laughed, “one Flash sighting isn’t worth a headline. He’s either dead or a fugitive from the law after all. But Godspeed just saved ten people yesterday, so shouldn’t that be front page?” 

“Sorry,” the reporter said, “This is the Flash’s city. There’s a lot more people who prefer him over Godspeed.” 

“Not for long,” Junmyeon good-naturedly said, “I’ll bet that Godspeed will overtake the Flash. You’ll see. I think he’s done so already.” 

The reporter hastily excused herself, claiming she was late for a meeting before all but sprinting away, escaping down the hall. Junmyeon watched her go for a moment before he turned around and spotted Jongdae and Sehun staring. 

“Oh, hello!” Junmyeon said, stepping towards them with a grin, “Sehun! Jongdae! It’s so good to see you again! How are you?” 

Sehun waited three seconds before he tried to compose himself enough to respond. 

“Fine,” he said. He swallowed before continuing to speak. It was harder to pretend that he didn’t know who Junmyeon really was when he was face to face with the man himself. “You?” 

“Oh, never better!” Junmyeon grinned, “We should really have brunch sometime. I’ll bring my father. He’s really such a big fan of yours.” 

Sehun offered a small nod. 

“Great!” Junmyeon said, moving his arm to slap Sehun’s shoulder. Before Sehun could flinch, Jongdae knocked his hand away. 

“What’s wrong?” Junmyeon said, staring at Sehun and Jongdae after he slowly lowered his arm to his side. “Usually you’re more…lively than this. Did someone die again?”

Sehun shook his head, trying to find the right words to say, any word to say at all. 

“Oh, you know,” Sehun shrugged after another pause, “Work stress.” 

“Is that so?” Junmyeon said, “I thought you just came back from work after a long break. Or at least. That’s what I heard?” 

“That’s what you heard?” Jongdae said, raising his voice. Sehun touched his arm in the hopes of slightly calming him down. Junmyeon stared at them for a while longer, observing the way Jongdae’s jaw was tightened, Sehun’s eyes had slightly widened, and let out a laugh. 

It was a terrible laugh, an unnecessarily loud, forced laugh that made the people around them look up from their work to wonder what had triggered such a reaction from Junmyeon. Junmyeon clapped his hands together as his laugh became louder and louder, and Sehun could only offer a weak smile in return. It slid off his face after he heard what Junmyeon said afterwards. 

“Oh, so you finally figured it out,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. 

He didn’t bother looking around him to check his surroundings before he stepped closer, too close for Sehun’s comfort, and spoke without looking away from Sehun’s face. 

“It took you long enough,” Junmyeon smoothly said. Sehun was disturbed by the way Junmyeon expression and tone hadn’t changed even now. “I’m surprised you thought I was Dr. Lee. He has a bad leg, doesn’t he? How can he run, much less walk?” 

“Where is he?” Jongdae asked, struggling to keep his voice level. 

“Oh, you know,” Junmyeon shrugged, “just somewhere. Here and there. Nowhere at all. All I can say is he’ll have two bad legs if he doesn’t finish the project he’s working on…Anyways, it was really good to see you, Sehun. You, too, Jongdae.” 

He tried to slap Sehun’s shoulder again, but before he could even land a blow, Jongdae pushed forwards and slapped his hand out of the way before grabbing him by the front of his expensive, iron pressed button-up shirt and slamming him against the wall. People looked up from their screens to stare at the commotion. 

“Not here, Jongdae,” Sehun quietly said, touching Jongdae’s shoulder. Jongdae had pulled Junmyeon upwards so his feet slightly dangled in the air. Junmyeon was grinning, not even doing anything to defend himself. 

“But he did so many things to you,” Jongdae said through gritted teeth, readjusting his grip on Junmyeon’s collar. His eyebrows were furrowed, and Sehun panicked when he saw lightning crackle around his eyes. 

“I treated him like I would any guest,” Junmyeon laughed, “What’s wrong with that?” 

“ _You_ ,” Jongdae spat, leaning forwards. Sehun wondered how hard it was for Jongdae to restrain himself from striking Junmyeon right across his face. “How’s the shoulder? It’s a pity I missed your heart.” 

Junmyeon only peeked above Jongdae’s shoulder and smiled brighter. 

“Oh, Qian!” he called out, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something my father mentioned.” 

Sehun quickly turned around to find Qian striding towards them. Her hands were on her hips again, which was Jongdae’s cue to leave. Since she was friends with the mayor and since Sehun wasn’t exactly in her good graces right now, he couldn’t imagine what conclusions she was making and what disciplinary actions she was preparing right now. 

“ _Go_ ,” Sehun urged Jongdae, tugging on his arm. But Jongdae only gripped Junmyeon’s shirt tighter. Sparks began shooting out of his fists, and if Jongdae grew any madder, he would lose control and expose his powers in front of everybody. 

“For me,” Sehun said, his voice softer, his tone more urgent, “Do it for me?” 

Jongdae slowly turned away from Junmyeon to look at Sehun. 

“Breathe,” Sehun said, “We’ll get him later.” 

Jongdae a deep breath, the small tendrils of electricity fizzling out before he grimly nodded. 

“If he gives you trouble, tell me and I’ll kill him,” he said before slamming Junmyeon to the floor. Qian called out to them, but Jongdae had already stalked off, wrenching open the doors to the stairwell. Sehun could hear him stomping down the stairs before the door closed behind him. 

A second later, Qian had approached, bending down to help Junmyeon up. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” she asked before she turned to Sehun with a deep frown, “Do you want to explain what I just saw?” 

“Oh, don’t worry, Qian,” Junmyeon said as he brushed himself off. He still had that sickening smile on his face. “It was nothing. I insist. Sehun and I were having a nice chat, and I took one of my jokes too far. It’s fine.” 

Qian looked on the verge of saying something more, but Junmyeon continued to wave off her worry until she left. Sehun tried to escape without a word back to his office, but before he could even take two steps, Junmyeon grabbed his shoulder and walked beside him. 

“I have to work,” Sehun said, “can you…go?” 

“Don’t worry. I won’t be a bother. Because I’m the mayor’s son, I can stay as long as I want,” he said, gripping Sehun’s shoulder tightly as they walked down the hall. Along the way, a reporter passed him, and Junmyeon greeted her cheerfully. 

“So how are you, Sehun?” Junmyeon said as they passed by a few offices. Sehun didn’t answer, so Junmyeon leaned closer to him until his lips almost touched his ear. “If you even think of doing anything funny, just remember I know who you are.” 

“I know who you are, too,” Sehun said. The impact of his words was lost as he squirmed, trying to place distance between them. 

“Who will believe you? Where’s your proof? And my dad’s the mayor,” Junmyeon said, “I’m untouchable.” 

Sehun stayed silent. 

“And besides,” Junmyeon said as they finally reached Sehun’s office and stood outside the door, “I know who you love.” 

He examined the sign on the door and tapped the letters that spelt Joohyun’s full name. 

“If you do anything,” Sehun said, raising his voice, his heart lurching through his chest, “then I’ll—” 

Junmyeon only laughed and opened the door, barging inside. 

“Look who it is!” he said, spreading his arms out, “Joohyun! It’s so good to see you!” 

“Wow,” Joohyun said, quickly returning her gaze to her screen after she took one look at him. “Why are you here?” 

She kept her tone flat and her lips pressed together as she tried to continue working. Junmyeon stood by her desk, standing too closer for her or Sehun’s liking. She shot him a look and scooted over. 

“I wanted to invite you to an event honoring my father,” Junmyeon said, tracing circles on the desk with a finger, “You can bring Seulgi. The more the merrier, right?

“I’m busy,” Joohyun said without even looking up. Sehun inched towards them, prepared to intervene if Junmyeon tried anything. 

“Why, I haven’t even told you the date yet!” Junmyeon said. 

“Well. I’m probably going to be busy,” Joohyun said. 

Sehun finally smiled despite the situation. If Junmyeon wanted to lure one of his friends, why did he think starting with Joohyun would be a good idea? Especially when she was doing all she could to stop a full frown from sinking down her lips? 

“Shame,” Junmyeon shook his head, “It would’ve been fun to have you there. What about you, Sehun?” 

“I’m busy,” Sehun said as he took a seat and pulled out his work. He doubted Junmyeon would do anything more than bother Joohyun now. 

“Doing what?” Junmyeon said, turning his attention to Sehun. He closed Sehun’s laptop as soon as Sehun opened it, forcing Sehun to look at him. He still smiled, but his gaze had darkened. “Unless you’re…I don’t know…busy saving the city or something, then I’m sure you can spare an hour or two.” 

“Like I said,” Sehun said, “I’ll be busy. Find someone else to attend your event.” 

“All right,” Junmyeon said, “If you change your mind, you can always show up. You’ll be the guests of honor. Right after my father of course.” 

He slapped a hand on Sehun’s shoulder again before shaking Sehun’s shoulder around. The discomfort that Sehun felt must have manifested on his expression because before Junmyeon could say or do anything more, Joohyun cut in. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” Joohyun said, her gaze finally shooting up to Junmyeon, her eyebrows furrowed, “If you don’t actually have any business being here, then please leave. Some of us actually have jobs we have to do during the day.” 

Junmyeon paused, drew his attention to Joohyun, and kept his smile suspended on his face. 

“Then I’ll come back tomorrow when you’re all free,” he said. 

“Or don’t,” Joohyun snapped, “Like I said…we’re busy.” 

Sehun couldn’t stop a wide grin from spreading across his face and stood up, causing his chair to scrape against the floor. 

“The door’s this way,” Sehun said, raising his arm out before pushing Junmyeon towards the door. Junmyeon stopped the door with a hand before Sehun could completely close it. 

“I think I’ll pay all your friends a little visit sometime in case you get any funny ideas,” he said, the smile finally dropping from his face. In this moment, Sehun saw Godspeed right in front of him though he wore no suit, no mask. 

“I’d like to see you try,” Sehun said and slammed the door on Junmyeon’s face. 

Even though Junmyeon could probably phase through anything, Sehun still locked the door behind him before resting his back on it and letting out a sigh. So much for pretending like they didn’t know who Junmyeon was. 

“Why was he more like… _that_ today?” Joohyun asked as Sehun walked back to his desk. She didn’t have to specify what she meant. Sehun understood. 

Sehun pushed his laptop to the side, took a deep breath, prepared to tell her what they had found. 

After a gasp, and a declared intent to kill from Joohyun a minute later, Sehun thought Junmyeon was lucky he had left early. Joohyun would knocked him to the floor if he had stayed.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Jongdae was not calm when he picked Sehun up from work after their shifts finished. He looked around as if expecting Junmyeon to slither out of the shadows at any moment to attack them. He kept one hand on Sehun’s shoulder as they walked through the city to pick up dinner and the other clenched into a fist. If he weren’t careful, sparks would start flying from his hands. 

When they finally came home, they found Baekhyun sprawled out on their couch typing rapidly on one laptop, a few others crowding the coffee table in front of them. 

As soon as he saw the way Jongdae strode into the room, he sat up straight. 

“Before you go off,” Baekhyun said, removing his laptop from the table so Sehun could set the pizzas down, “Please let me eat first.” 

So they ate in silence. 

Jongdae listened to Baekhyun and kept his mouth shut, but Sehun could see all the words and the anger waiting to spill out of Jongdae’s mouth as he tore into every bite and chewed hard. Baekhyun ate slowly, stealing glances at Jongdae every now and then. And when the pizza boxes were empty, Jongdae took that as his cue. 

“I’m going to kill him,” Jongdae said, “I’m really going to throw my hands over his neck and strangle him…or just hit him with a thunderbolt. Can you believe? He had the audacity to pretend like he hadn’t just imprisoned you for weeks and weeks? I’m going to kill him…before he can touch you or Baekhyun. It’s simple.” 

Sehun exchanged a long look with Baekhyun before he sank into the couch, listening to Jongdae list different ways he would deal with Junmyeon. Jongdae hadn’t raised his voice, but Sehun couldn’t determine how much Jongdae was exaggerating, how much he was saying under the influence of this anger, and how much he actually meant. 

“I’d die for you” was what Jongdae told him when they were younger. 

‘I’d kill for you” was what Sehun was hearing more often nowadays. 

But would Jongdae actually do it?

Sehun didn’t like murder, couldn’t fathom the idea of a life lost in such away. He never wanted to see anyone die, but Jongdae was different. He saw death every day at work, and maybe he needed a way to expel the pain and rage in his heart. If he couldn’t return what he had suffered to the second killer, then perhaps he’d return it to Junmyeon instead. 

After Jongdae finally lapsed into silence, Baekhyun took advantage of the pause and testily changed the subject. 

“So Godspeed wants to destroy the Flash,” Baekhyun said, refusing to use Junmyeon’s real name in case he set Jongdae off again, “he really has the audacity to try and replace you and copy your suit that I designed myself?” 

He shook his head, shooting Sehun a meaningful look. Sehun understood and replied, steering them towards a different conversation. 

“He’s done a good job of it already,” Sehun said with a sigh, “The city hates me now.” 

“It doesn’t,” Jongdae said, placing a hand on Sehun’s thigh, “You are loved. They’d be fools not to love you.” 

Sehun wasn’t convinced. The city was fickle after all. One day someone could be a hero, the next a vigilante, the next a criminal, and then finally a fugitive. He wondered how long he’d have before the police would pronounce him a threat to their operations and call for his arrest. 

“All we need to do is change the press,” Baekhyun said, laying on the couch and draping his legs over Jongdae’s and Sehun’s laps, “if that’s how he’s been gaining attention, then we’ll just bring the attention back to you. You’re the one who rules the headlines, Sehun. Not him.”

“But what if…they don’t even want to see me anymore?” Sehun asked, his voice dropping, “What if they’ve moved on? What if they don’t trust me anymore?” 

“You’re the Flash,” Jongdae said, “of course you’ll have a few skeptics, a few antis who have nothing better to do than sit on their laptops and write petty comments. But you have to remember that you have more people who love you than hate you. I promise you that.” 

Sehun didn’t say anything in return and stood up to throw away the pizza boxes away. 

“Why don’t we go to my place?” Baekhyun asked, stepping up to place a hand on Sehun’s shoulder. Sehun had wanted to call it an early night, but he nodded anyways. He would follow them wherever they went. Across the hall was nothing compared to where he was willing to go for them. 

A moment later, Baekhyun looped his arms through Sehun’s and Jongdae’s arms as they walked straight across the hall to Baekhyun’s apartment. His place was where they went to conduct investigations, to do anything Flash related, but now, it was a place for Jongdae to train. It seemed Baekhyun had brought him there to pummel his frustrations away. 

Baekhyun had installed tiles on the walls designed to absorb the impact of Jongdae’s electricity. Jongdae had been using them to perfect his aim, but tonight, he hurtled blast after blast of lightning with no care for accuracy, no desire to do anything except destroy. Jongdae’s eyes had disappeared into the lights again, and his body had lit up, the familiar yellow aura returning. As he watched Jongdae hurtle charged blast after blast, Sehun wondered why it took him forever to adjust to his speed while Jongdae was already effortlessly shooting the targets with a flick of his finger.

“Please don’t break anything,” Baekhyun called out when Jongdae had almost struck the wall, “I can’t imagine how much the landlord is going to make me pay if there’s even a scratch on the wall. We’re lucky he didn’t see what you did last time.” 

“Have I ever even missed once?” Jongdae said as he turned around. Without looking, he hit another target with a ball of electricity. 

“Show off,” Baekhyun muttered. Jongdae returned his attention to conjuring another ball of electricity, concentrating as he spun it between his hands.

Baekhyun watched for a second longer before pulling out his laptop. He opened several programs and began working on something Sehun didn’t understand. But he still wanted to ask, still needed to ask.

“Does this mean you’re back?” Sehun asked, carefully watching Baekhyun’s expression. He didn’t seem upset, though he couldn’t meet Sehun’s gaze and kept his eyes on the screen.

“No,” he finally said, “I can’t ever return to the person I was, the things I did.” 

“Okay,” Sehun said, dropping the conversation. That was that. He wouldn’t push Baekhyun about this. 

They sat in silence as Baekhyun continued quickly typing before he slowed down and let out a sigh.

“I just,” Baekhyun said at last, “the only thing I know is that if I don’t use my skills, then people could hurt. If I do use my skills, we can track down Godspeed and end this sooner.”

Sehun said nothing and merely nodded, turning his head slightly to watch Jongdae place his hand on the lamp beside him. He wondered what Jongdae was doing before Baekhyun drew his attention back.

“There were many times where I could have used my skills, but I didn’t. I could’ve found the bomber sooner if I wasn’t scared. I could’ve tracked Godspeed when you first suspected him and stopped him before all of this had to happen,” Baekhyun shook his head, “But I didn’t. I didn’t, and look where we are now."

“That’s not your fault,” Sehun said, “It’s just taking you longer to recover from the past. And that’s fine.”

“When you disappeared, taken by Godspeed, I didn’t have time to think, to let my guilt devour me, and flipped open my computer to start working on getting you back,” Baekhyun said, his voice soft. He lifted his hands off of the keyboard and flexed them. “I hadn’t done this for so long that I was afraid I’d forgotten how to do it.” 

“But you didn’t,” Sehun said, watching a stream of unintelligible codes appear on Baekhyun’s screen.

“But I didn’t,” Baekhyun said.

“It’s always going to be a part of you,” Sehun said, “but now at least you can use it for better purposes, right? Reclaim your skills. Seize it for yourself. No one else gets to determine how you use your gift.”

Baekhyun looked up and tried to smile. It was a half-hearted attempt, one that Baekhyun gave up on a second later.

“I’m doing what I can to help others, but that doesn’t make up for all the people I’ve hurt,” Baekhyun said.

“That was the past,” Sehun said, “The Baekhyun I know is better than a mistake he made when he was younger.”

This time Baekhyun smiled. 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, too,” Baekhyun said, “The Sehun I love is better than who he thinks he is.” 

Sehun managed a smile back. He wasn’t hard on himself as a journalist, as a friend, as a son. He was only hard on himself as the Flash.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“You sure you’re in the right place?” the bouncer told Sehun as soon as he saw him. 

“Yeah,” Sehun said. He kept his hands shoved in his pockets, his hood over his head, and tilted his chin up, staring at the bouncer with half-lidded eyes. “Definitely.” 

The bouncer stared at him for maybe ten seconds more before he shrugged and let him through. Sehun inclined his head as he passed him and walked inside the bar. Loud music and a booming bass that blasted from large speakers greeted him, and he pushed his way past a group of drunken people when he caught a glimpse of the bartender on duty tonight. 

The barstool creaked when Sehun twisted it. 

“Let me guess,” Jessica said without looking at him, “Same thing?” 

Jessica had her back turned to him, so he was met only with the sight of her long, brown hair. Sehun paused, blinking the past out of his eyes before he slowly sat down. 

“Oh,” Jessica said after she finally turned around, furrowing her eyebrows when she saw Sehun, “It’s you.” 

“What’s up,” Sehun smiled, “Can I have some water?” 

Jessica stared at him before picking up a glass and began filling it up. 

“I thought you actually listened to me and finally stayed away,” Jessica said, watching the water pour into the glass. She shut off the water and slid the glass over to Sehun. 

“But then I paid one of your friends a visit and threatened him until he told me you were taken by that idiot running around the city,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You were worried bout me?” Sehun said, leaning towards her, his voice rising in volume.

“No, _no_ ,” Jessica harshly said, looking around as if she was worried someone had herd them. “Of course not. I just wanted to know if you were out of my life for good. No need for early celebrations.” 

“You were _worried_ about me,” Sehun beamed, clasping his hands together, “That’s so sweet of you, Jessica.” 

“I was _not_ ,” Jessica hissed, slamming a hand on the counter. Sehun didn’t bother hiding his smile as he watched her turn to the people beside them.

“What are you looking at?” she roughly said, causing the surrounding customers to turn around and return their attention to their drinks. 

“You care,” Sehun cheerfully said before taking a sip of his water, raising his voice to be heard over the bar’s blaring music. . 

“I _don’t_ ,” Jessica said, snatching his glass away, causing the water to spill onto him. 

“How are you doing anyways?” Sehun grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Jessica placed the glass back on the table and sighed. 

“I’m alive,” she shrugged, slapping towel over the counter and wiping up the spill, “Working. Planning a heist. You know…the same stuff.” 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Sehun nodded, “Good for you. I mean…not the heist part since obviously I’ll have to stop that, but the staying alive part.” 

Jessica stared at him before turning to the patron seated three seats away from him who had ordered three shots of tequila.

“I suppose you’re doing fine since you decided to disrupt me at work,” she muttered as she slammed three shot glasses on the counter. 

Sehun watched her deftly pour the tequila without spilling a single drop. He supposed that would be the closest thing to a _how are you?_ from Jessica. 

“I’ve been busy,” Sehun said, “running around trying to stop Godspeed and all that.”

“That boyfriend of yours…I heard he was in a coma thanks to him,” Jessica said, flipping a towel over her shoulder as she walked back to him.

“He’s awake now,” Sehun said. 

“Good,” Jessica said, pouring herself a shot and downing it, “I’m glad I don’t have to hear you complain about that then.” 

“Well, he still worries me,” Sehun admitted, holding his glass between his hands. The chill of the ice stung the palm of his hands, but he held on.

“And why are you telling me this?” Jessica asked, leaning on the counter.

“Isn’t that your job?” Sehun asked, poking her arm, “as a bartender? And also since you care?”

“Touch me again and I’ll cut your hand off,” she said, leaving to refill some other customer’s glass.

Sehun sat and stared at the little ice cubes floating around his drink before someone stabbed a tiny yellow paper umbrella into it.

“I remembered you kept bothering me for one last time,” Jessica said before huffing, “what’s wrong with your boyfriend?”

Sehun swirled the umbrella in his water before he sighed.

“He’s been talking about…killing Godspeed,” Sehun said, “and that worries me.”

Jessica suddenly let out a laugh, slapping the counter as she threw her head back. Sehun was sure that was the loudest he had ever heard her laugh.

“That’s all?” Jessica said, her lips twisted up with genuine amusement, “That’s really all you’re worried bout?”

“He…wants to kill someone,” Sehun repeated himself a little slower in case she didn’t hear him the first time, “Kill as in…murder?” 

“So what?” Jessica said, “let him if he wants. It’s just murder.”

Sehun spluttered. 

“It’s _just_ murder?” he said, whispering as he looked around, hoping no one had heard them. But this bar was a place other criminals liked to frequent, so he couldn’t imagine anyone caring about what they were talking about anyways. 

“Hey,” Jessica said, “we all make our choices. Nothing you can do about it.” 

Someone sank down into a seat two chairs to Sehun’s right and slapped a bill on the table, demanding a beer. As he watched Jessica fill up a tankard and pass it to the customer, he wondered why he had thought asking Jessica, of all people, about murder. 

“By the way. I haven’t seen you running around in that ridiculous red outfit in a while,” Jessica said when she came back, “did you give it up or something?”

Sehun shrugged. 

“The city doesn’t want me around,” he said, “I’m giving them what they want.” 

“Please,” Jessica scoffed, “the city literally hates me, and yet…here I am. Existing regardless of what they say. I don’t give a fuck if they love me or hate me. I’m here to do what I want to do. So do what you want to do, kid. And if that includes running around making my life harder when I’m trying to rob a museum, then do it.” 

“Thanks, Jess,” Sehun smiled. 

“Get out of here before I blast your head off,” Jessica grumbled, “You’ve wasted enough time.” 

But the corners of her lips slightly turned up.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

The Flash was still gone. 

Sehun had worn the suit once when he had attempted to rescue Dr. Lee, but he had stowed it away after and hadn’t worn it since. 

It wasn't like the city needed him. No major threats occurred, and there were no bombings, no natural disasters, no home invasions. Not even a robbery. Nothing. So if he wasn't needed and he wasn't wanted, then there was no reason to put on the suit. 

Baekhyun and Jongdae, however, had continually encouraged Sehun to patrol the streets and return to the public eye again.

"Think about it," Baekhyun said at dinner one night, "if you get out there again, then the people will remember why they needed you." 

"Why they love you," Jongdae said as he piled more rice into Sehun’s bowl. 

Sehun poked at the rice with his chopsticks and didn’t say anything in reply. He only felt something twisting in his stomach, making him lose his appetite.

"What if it goes wrong?" Sehun said, "I haven't been out there in so long. What if I forget how to do everything and something goes wrong? Then that'll be another time I failed this city. I'm afraid...I'm afraid that..."

Then he stopped, finally stabbing his chopsticks into the bowl. 

Baekhyun tilted his head towards Jongdae who took that as his cue to reach over the table and touch Sehun’s arm. 

"What are you afraid of?" Jongdae asked. 

"I'm afraid that I can't give them what they deserve," Sehun said, letting out a long exhale, "I can't help everyone all at once no matter how fast I am. And I'm afraid they all realized that. All at once." 

"Well," Baekhyun said after he ate a bite of his food, "there's only one way to know for sure. Get back out there, help some people, and see if the whole city hates you."

"What if they do?" Sehun asked.

"When has that ever stopped you?" Jongdae asked, "When has anyone ever stopped you? When has anything ever stopped you anyways?"

That was true. Jongdae was right. Sehun helped people because he wanted to, not because he wanted to be loved. He was already loved more than enough by Jongdae, by Baekhyun, by Joohyun, by his family and other friends. If a whole city wanted to hate him, then so he would be hated. But he wouldn’t let that discourage him from helping. Not again.

"So what now?" Sehun wearily said, sinking into the chair.

"Now we wait for something big to happen," Baekhyun said, "so you can remind everyone that this is the Flash's city. Not Godspeed's." 

But Central City wasn’t his city. He didn’t own it, didn’t exercise any privilege or rights because he saved its citizens. No, it was just his home. 

"He'll probably be there, too," Sehun said, "especially if it's a disaster he's created himself." 

"Then you'll remind people that you’re the best," Baekhyun said, gesturing at him with his chopsticks, "the original. The one and only fastest man alive." 

Sehun breathed out. 

"Okay," he said at last, "Okay."

The city was silent for a few more days, depriving Sehun of the opportunity to do anything as the Flash. Of course, there were a few break-ins here and there, a few car accidents on the freeway, and some shoplifting, but Sehun had only learned of those incidents after thy had happened.

Sehun wasn’t complaining. A boring city was better than a city in continual danger.

But after three days of absolutely nothing, Sehun had expected nothing to happen on a lazy Friday afternoon. He had decided to work from home, a decision that encouraged Jongdae and Baekhyun to skip work. He was sure neither of them had any sick days or personal days left, but what disciplinary action was there to worry about when Dr. Lee was still gone? 

Sehun had been curling up on the couch as they all watched a movie, a recent one released this year that they had all missed. It wasn’t particularly good, and he found himself leaning against Jongdae’s shoulder as he fell asleep. 

He didn’t even register the notifications and beeps from Baekhyun’s monitor the first time he heard them.

No one did.

Perhaps it had been so long that they had forgotten what it had sounded like. Or perhaps they had mistaken the sounds as part of the movie’s effects. But for whatever reason, no one heard the alarms until a whole thirty seconds later.

Baekhyun had leapt up and ran towards the spare room after he realized, and what he shouted next jolted Sehun out of his sleep. 

“There’s a _fire_ ,” Baekhyun said. Sehun scrambled to his feet, shook the drowsiness from his head, and quickly followed him into the room, almost tripping over the coffee table in the process. 

A fire at an elementary school.

A big fire that had seemed to start out of nowhere.

Sehun didn't even know why he had spent so much time considering whether or not he would put on the suit again. There really was no question about it. Sehun had already thrown on the suit and pulled the cowl over his head as soon as Baekhyun told him the fire’s location. 

"How many children are trapped?" Sehun asked, leaning over Baekhyun’s shoulder as Baekhyun pulled up the available information. He didn’t want to ask about any possible casualties for now. That would distract him.

"Thirty," Baekhyun said, "a whole class in the gym. The structure was damaged, so they’re trapped. The rest of the school is evacuating without problems." 

"So stop the fire and save the kids," Sehun said as he straightened up, “Got it.” 

He took a deep breath, turning around when he felt Jongdae touch his shoulder.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Jongdae asked, watching his expression.

Sehun shook his head. 

“I think have to do this by myself,” he said, “Join me on the next?” 

“The next,” Jongdae smiled before kissing Sehun, “For good luck.” 

With that, Sehun tore through the streets, remembering every second lost was another second someone could die. He must have ran faster today since he arrived at the school in half a second, stopping in his tracks as he observed the scene. Children screamed as they ran outside, followed by teachers who continually counted how many students had made it out. So much for that silence during a fire rule. Other teachers helped the students onto the school buses, preparing to evacuate to safety.

Sehun looked around to find no sign of the fire department. Baekhyun had informed him they were two minutes away, but hopefully it wouldn’t be two minutes too late. After Baekhyun guided Sehun to the gym, Sehun spotted a woman trying to wrench open the doors. Smoke rose out of the building, and flames had begun to creep onto the roof.

“Excuse me,” Sehun said as he approached the woman, “Are the children trapped in there?" 

"Flash!" she said, clutching at her chest after she saw him, "Please help...Fifty children are trapped in there." 

So the news had reported incorrect data. Fifty. Not thirty.

"I'll get them out," Sehun said before guiding her away from the gym, "Please take care of yourself and help the other kids out." 

"Thank you so much, Flash," she said before managing a smile, "I'm glad you're back." 

Sehun gave her a single nod, trying the doors once before phasing through.

Once he entered the gym, he coughed, suddenly met with smoke so thick it was hard to see clearly. Support beams and rubble had collapsed in front of the doors, making it impossible to escape. Other structures on the ceiling had fallen or were on the verge of falling. Two coaches were trying to find a way out, tugging at the doors on the other side, finding them jammed. The students were sitting in the middle of the gym, covering their mouths with their hands. Many cried. Some seemed to have passed out already. 

"Hypothetically," Sehun said to Jongdae and Baekhyun, "Since I’ve phased a plane before, can I do that with people? Would that harm them in any way?” 

He didn’t really have plan better than just running all of them out before the whole building collapsed. 

"I...don't know," Baekhyun said, "You've never tried before?" 

"You'd have to be traveling faster than your normal speed," Jongdae said, "And even then, I don't know."

"Well," Sehun said, "I'll try."

Trying was better than nothing, so here Sehun was picking up the first kid and zooming for the doors. He couldn't hesitate because he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to phase them through, let alone himself. So, he didn't. He charged head on, closing his eyes at the last moment just before he reached the door. A split second later, he opened his eyes, finding that he had made it outside. He placed the student down and checked him for injuries, finding none. 

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked. 

The student nodded, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Run," Sehun said to the kid, pointing towards the school buses. "Stay safe." 

Now that Sehun knew it would work, he ran back and forth, moving all the children out as fast as he could. He thought that the coaches would want to be taken out so they could assist in evacuations, but they refused to leave first. 

"We won't leave until the rest of the kids here are safe," one of them said between coughs. 

"Please save them first," the other said, pressing his sleeve over his mouth, "We'll be fine. Let them go home to their families."

But surely, these coaches must be someone's daughter, someone's son, too, and Sehun would make sure they would be able to go back home to their own families.

Sehun continued running until there were only ten students and the two coaches left. It seemed like the fires had been set in the attic’s roof, so luckily it had not spread to the ground and burned anyone. Sehun’s biggest concern was the amount of smoke everyone was inhaling and the structural damage.

Just as he was about to pick up another student, something barreled into him, causing him to slam into the wall behind him. The structures directly above him began to shake. Sehun threw his hands over his head as he leapt up and ran before he skidded to a stop.

Godspeed towered over the children, reaching for one of them. Two of the children had burst into tears, and those who had been crying only cried louder and harder.

Sehun narrowed his eyes and knocked Godspeed back before he bent down to check on the students. 

“It’s okay,” he said to the students, “You’re going to be fine!” 

Then he felt hands snatch him from the back and push him to the side.

" _No_ ," Godspeed shouted at Sehun as he gripped a student’s shoulder, "I refuse to let you take the credit. This was supposed to be my save, and you can’t have anything to do with it." 

Sehun coughed as he stood up a few meters away. 

" _What_?" Sehun shouted as he strode forwards towards the children, "These people are still trapped in here, and you're worried about who gets written about in the newspaper?" 

"Stay _out_ of this, Flash," Godspeed bellowed, grabbing Sehun and slamming him into the concrete walls. The impact caused the building to start shaking and fire to start raining down from the ceiling. Sehun saw a support beam dangling dangerously above the group of people. It was only a matter time before it collapsed and crashed onto the ground.

"Listen," Sehun said, pushing Godspeed off of him, "I don't care about the newspaper. I'll tell the reporters that it was all you. You saved them, if that's what you want. Just let me help these people. Or do it yourself." 

"No," Godspeed said, thrusting a hand towards Sehun's neck and began choking him, "They've already seen you. This won't do. I have to take you out and then save the others.”

“ _Beat his ass, Sehun!”_ Baekhyun screeched from his comms. Sehun grabbed at Godspeed’s hand and tried to rip it off, but it only caused him to squeeze tighter.

“I’m going to _murder_ him,” Jongdae shouted, “Do something, Sehun. Don’t let him push you around. God…I when I get my fucking hands on him I’m going to f—”

Sehun focused on Jongdae’s voice, no matter what expletives he was saying, as he struggled to breathe. Godspeed squeezed Sehun’s throat harder and harder, but Sehun needed to know if everyone else was alive. He looked across the gym, found the coaches huddling the children close to them. The beam above them continued to crack. 

"Once they see how weak you are, they'll recognize that I am their only savior. I am their only hope," he said. It was in this moment that Sehun realized that Junmyeon either had a weak grip or he didn’t go to the gym much because he failed to make him lose consciousness with all this strangling. 

As the beam cracked and began to fall, sending the children screaming, Sehun phased straight through Junmyeon’s hand, sprinted across the gym, and swept the children up. He dragged them to safety before the beam crashed to the floor. Panting hard, he looked back, only to find that the rubble had isolated him and these students on one side, Junmyeon and the coaches on the other. His attention was quickly diverted when he felt the children cling to his arms and legs and heard them cry.

"Hey," Sehun said, patting their heads and rubbing their backs, "You're going to be fine. I'm here with you. I'm here, okay?" 

He winced when he heard another loud creak and looked up for a moment, finding only fire peeking out from the holes in the ceiling. The fire was beginning to spread rapidly, and it was only a matter of time before the whole building collapsed. Sehun took a shallow breath and bent down to the children’s level.

"I will get you all out of here, but I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?" he asked.

The children nodded. One wiped her tears away as she gasped for breath, and some others nodded while they coughed. 

"Good," he said after he let out a cough of his own, "I can only take you one at a time, but I promise I will come back for you all. Is that okay?" 

The children nodded again. 

"I'll be back before you even now it," Sehun smiled.

He picked up the child closest to him, brought them to safety outside, and told them to start running to the buses before returning. In a few seconds, he had taken two more students outside, but just as he was about to reach for the last one, Godspeed appeared and kicked his legs. As Sehun slid on the ground, the rubble scraped against his suit, but thanks to Baekhyun’s design, he suffered no cuts. The last student backed away from Godspeed, tripping over some rubble, and fell. 

"Wait…Let the kid go first at least," Sehun said, pulling himself to his feet.

"This was _my_ save," Godspeed snarled, jabbing at his chest, " _My_ headline. Do I have to put all your friends in the ground before you stay out of my way?"

With a yell, he rushed forwards with his fists swinging. Sehun dodged his punches and threw some of his own back.

"I don't want to fight you," Sehun shouted, bending his neck to the side to avoid another punch, "I don't even want your headline. Can I just _please_ save these people first?" 

Above them, another beam crashed to the floor, causing the fires to spread faster. 

"Help them," Sehun shouted as he continued to dodge all of Godspeed’s blows. It seemed Junmyeon, too, did not fight well when he was emotional. "They'll die here if we don’t help them.” 

"It they die, it's on you," Godspeed snarled.

Something snapped in Sehun, causing him to land a swift, uppercut punch that would’ve made Seulgi proud. Godspeed crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Sehun took a deep breath, as deep as he could manage in the thickening smoke, before zooming back to the last student. His heart clawed at his chest as he found her lying in the rubble with her eyes closed. He dropped to his knees, picking up her limp hand before pressing fingers to her wrist. He sighed in relief when he felt a pulse but bent over as he coughed. If he didn’t escape soon, he’d die here, too. 

"Sorry that took longer than a second," he said as he picked the student up, "let's go."

After handing over the student to the nearest teacher outside, he returned, diving back into the billowing smoke and the thickening flames to search for the coaches. He found the first one unconscious, lying dangerously close to a pool of fire. After checking her pulse, finding it weak but still present, he gritted his teeth as he picked her up and raced outside. 

There was only one coach left, and though Sehun was exhausted and could feel his lungs ready to give out at any second, he searched through the gym until he found him hiding in a corner, his hands over his head. Sehun picked him up as best as he could, swearing he needed to lift more weights with Jongdae after this, and took off for the exit. Just as he was about to reach the front doors, a column crashed down, blocking their path. The coach screamed, and Sehun gritted his teeth, phasing through the beams before almost collapsing outside. He bent down to catch his breath, letting out a series of loud, wheezing coughs. 

"Thank you so much, Flash," the coach said, grasping Sehun’s hands. 

"Go," Sehun nodded, pointing towards the rest of the crowd, "Get medical help and see if all the kids are fine."

The coach nodded and ran away after shouting one final thank you. Sehun gasped for cleaner air before he stood on weak legs and ran back inside the gym. 

"Why are you going back?" Baekhyun said, "All the kids are safe." 

"Junmyeon," Sehun said, waving aside the smoke with a hand as he squinted, trying to remember where he had left hm. 

"You're going _back_ for him?" Jongdae said, "After all that he's done to you?" 

Sehun spotted him near the right wall, or whatever was left of it, and knelt by his unconscious body. He hadn’t…hit him that hard, right? Sehun checked his pulse before letting out a sigh.

"I can't let anyone die," Sehun said, swinging Junmyeon’s arm over his shoulder as he headed for the exit. This was who he was. "I don't want to close my eyes and see another dead body haunt me. Not another policeman. Not another Soojung. So what if he did terrible things? He'll answer to them in court. Alive." 

Baekhyun and Jongdae fell silent. Sehun would do this for himself, so there was nothing they could do to change his mind. 

But it was harder to drag an unconscious body, especially when Sehun could not breathe well, and it felt like it was taking years to run towards the door. When he was meters away from the exit, another burning support beams finally gave way and plummeted towards them. Sehun shut his eyes and phased in place. It was taking so much effort to phase, to fight unconsciousness, to support Junmyeon, and Sehun wanted nothing more than to lay down right here and take a long nap. But he couldn’t. So he put one foot in front of the number. One foot in front of the other. And he continued onwards. But he could feel himself slipping and prayed he could make it outside before he collapsed. 

"Jongdae," he said after letting out another cough. Maybe if this were the end, then now would be a good time. "I have something to ask you." 

Baekhyun remained silent. 

"Ask me at home," Jongdae smoothly said after a pause, "Ask me when you're back safe and by my side."

"But what if," Sehun started to say, gasping for breath. It would be so easy to give up right now, but Sehun took another step forwards for the person next to him and the question he needed to ask. Around him, the fires started to burn higher and higher, the rest of the building becoming weaker and weaker. Sehun started coughing before he could say anything else. 

"No," Jongdae said, "No what ifs. What I know is that you're going home after this. You're coming back to me." 

"Okay," Sehun weakly said at last. The ring was at home. So he would ask at home. "Okay."

"Focus on my voice," Jongdae said. Sehun blinked, feeling his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. "Listen to me. You're going to be fine. Breathe..." 

"But not too hard because those ashes are going to fuck up your lungs," Baekhyun chimed in, “Even though they already are. Yikes.” 

Sehun managed a laugh that sounded more like an asthmatic wheeze. 

"You'll be fine," Jongdae said, "I promise. Not because you're the Flash, but because you're you. Sehun." 

He was a step away from the door now. Sehun took a deep breath and used whatever remaining energy he had left to phase them straight through the door. 

Sehun gasped for clean air, feeling light-headed as he dragged Junmyeon meters away from the building before finally bending over to breathe. He was surprised he had not yet collapsed yet. 

"Are you okay?" Baekhyun asked. 

“Sehun?” Jongdae asked, “Are you with us?” 

"Yeah," Sehun said, letting out another cough. "Yeah…but I’m going to need like five more seconds before I try and put out the fire."

He heard long exhales crackling from his comms, and after he stood up after catching his breath, his chest tightened. So many people were looking at him. Firefighters. Teachers. Students who pressed their faces against the windows of the bus. 

No one said anything. No one stopped staring. 

Sehun turned and felt his heart stop when he saw reporters and their crew film him. Behind them, the fire continued burning, but Sehun could do nothing under everyone’s gaze. He hugged his shoulders and continued to take shallow breaths. 

They hated him. They hated him, right? They thought he was the streak who had destroyed parts of the city, right? They wanted him gone, right? 

Then, after a second had passed, a second that seemed like a year to Sehun, time resumed as if nothing had happened. Firefighters rushed to put out the flames before they could spread around to the other building. Teachers continued to guide the children towards the buses. Paramedics rushed to take care of those who had been found unconscious. 

Then he heard the applause. The cheers. The chants. 

 _Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!_  

Sehun breathed as he stared across the space, focusing on the ambulances near the right side of the courtyard. He saw no bodies covered in sheets, only oxygen masks being pressed to the victims and shock blankets passed around. He had tried his best, and he hoped they wouldn’t blame him for not saving everyone sooner. 

Beside him, Junmyeon finally stirred, groaning as he pushed himself up off the ground. He observed the situation around him before he coughed and let out a shout. 

“ _No_ ,” he yelled, “this was supposed to be my _headline_.” 

“You’d think he’d be more grateful,” Baekhyun said, “You did just save his life, Sehun.” 

“Could you really expect that from a person like him?” Jongdae asked. 

Before Sehun had a chance to say anything, Junmyeon slammed a fist on the ground and sped off. Sehun debated running after him. It would be easy to catch up to Junmyeon because the fire and the smoke had weakened him. But before he could decide what to do, a news reporter stalked towards them, gesturing at her crew to keep up with her. Sehun saw the big camera, the determined look in the reporter’s eyes, and prepared to flee. But as he turned away, he saw a more familiar reporter pushing her way forwards. He hesitated before staying. 

"Flash!" Sunyoung called, waving at him. 

Sehun preferred to do an interview with her than the other reporter behind him, one he distinctly remembered being associated with some of his most vocal critics, and turned to her. 

"Hello, Sunyoung," he said, "Are you okay?" 

"Never better," she smiled, "We haven't seen you in so long. Where have you been?" 

"I've had some things I've personally had to take care of," Sehun said, "but I'm here now. Do you know if everyone's okay?" 

"The firefighters and emergency services are still evaluating all the victims trapped in the gym," she said, "but there have been no life-threatening injuries reported as of now.” 

"No casualties, too?" Sehun said, holding his breath as he waited for her to tell him he had failed, he had forgotten someone, he had left someone be— 

"Thanks to you," Sunyoung said, "no."

"Oh, that's a relief," Sehun sighed before letting out a long cough. 

“Thank you for coming today,” Sunyoung said, “I…We were beginning to worry we’d never see you again.” 

“I didn’t know I mattered that much,” Sehun said in a quieter voice.” 

“Matter?” Sunyoung said, her eyes widening, “Of course you matter! You’re the very best of what this city has to offer.” 

“But everyone…but the critics,” Sehun said, his voice dropping as every second passed, “they said that…”

“Never mind what they said,” Sunyoung said, “I guess you don’t know how journalism works nowadays, but everyone plays dirty, and all those critics and their unjustified opinions are getting too loud.”

Sehun heard laughter from his comms and smiled at last. 

“Then shove me in the middle of the newspaper. There’s no need to put me on the front,” Sehun waved his hand, “Give the headlines to some other person who can handle all the critics and the attention. Like the mayor. Or his son.” 

He hoped Junmyeon was watching this somewhere. 

“Is there anything you want to say to them?” Sunyoung asked, “Your critics?” 

"Tell them to fuck off," Baekhyun said. 

"Tell them they don't deserve you," Jongdae said. 

Sehun put his hands on his hips and breathed. His lungs were beginning to heal from all the damage, but they were not healing as fast as he would have liked. Every breath was still a struggle. 

"Not really," Sehun shrugged, "if they want to criticize me, the least they could do is actually use a real, unedited video of me to support their claims." 

Sunyoung laughed.

"I knew it," she said. Sehun wondered why she was looking at him like that...like the way he looked at Joohyun after he finished reading her article and felt nothing but awe, the way he looked at Baekhyun after Baekhyun finished explaining what new features he had invented for the Flash suit, the way he looked at Jongdae after Jongdae breathed. 

"Now I have to ask,” she said, “No one expects you to be here every minute, but are you back now? Back for good?” 

Sehun looked away from Sunyoung and watched some victims press oxygen masks to their faces, other victims cry from the shock, and parents run across the parking lot, tearfully holding their children close after they found them. 

"Yeah," he said, "I'm back."

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Every single newspaper the next day reported one subject and one subject only. The headlines were all different, but the subject more or less the same. Central City Times' front page boasted its own front page article regarding the event.

 

FLASH RETURNS!

OUR HERO SAVES 50 CHILDREN AND 2 COACHES FROM SCHOOL FIRE

By: Bae Joohyun

 

Below was a picture of himself surrounded by some children he had saved, the tall fires looming behind them. 

There was not a single mention of Godspeed anywhere in Joohyun’s article. She had omitted him completely, but other writers around the city saved a few words for him. Useless. Ineffective. Unable to do what the Flash could. 

Sehun, with some degree of smugness, couldn't imagine how furious Junmyeon must be. But Junmyeon hadn’t been seen since that day. While Dr. Lee’s drug may have granted Junmyeon his speed, Sehun doubted it allowed Junmyeon to heal quickly. Perhaps he hid himself to recover from the fight and the fire. 

Sehun still looked for him, bracing himself every time he turned a corner, expecting to be attacked by a steak of white. But after a week of nothing, he gradually relaxed and continued writing again, continued worrying about his proposal again, continued dreaming of the future again. 

And he started patrolling again. 

Sehun had grown to love morning runs in the city and for once didn’t mind waking up earlier to patrol while he let Jongdae sleep. This time it was Jongdae’s turn to pull at his arms, to sleepily beg him to stay in bed with him a while longer. And now it was Sehun’s turn to kiss him, to tuck him back into bed, to tell him he should sleep a little longer. Jongdae was so tired that once Sehun gently lay him back down into bed, he fell asleep once he closed his eyes. 

This morning, Sehun ran, not looking for anyone in particular to help, any trouble to stop. If someone was in trouble, he’d help them of course, but he was content with simply running around and enjoying the sights, the lights, the early ambience of the city. 

Yellow taxis drove beside him as he zoomed through the streets. As he slowed down to check the time, a driver honked at Sehun and waved at him. Sehun waved back before zipping off. A minute later, he noticed Mrs. Kim, the owner of a local grocery store, signing for a large shipment of produce. She seemed short-staffed, so Sehun helped her unpack all the boxes and shelve the new products. 

Thirty seconds later, he continued running around the city, this time searching for any sign of Dr. Lee that he might have missed. He didn’t particularly care for Dr. Lee at all, but Jongdae did, and only Dr. Lee knew whether or not the evidence had been tampered with. So he looked. 

But it wasn’t like Junmyeon would hide him in the open, in some alleyway or behind a residential building, so Sehun gave up after a minute and took a break in the park, sitting under a tree as he watched early morning joggers run along the trails. He thought he could see Yeri in the distance and waved.

As he watched the sun continue to rise in the horizon, sending the sparse clouds scattering, Sehun wondered how pissed Junmyeon was right now. Sehun had stolen his spotlight, saved everyone that Junmyeon failed to save. He didn't know why Junmyeon was probably upset though. He had all the chances to do something, all the chances to help some people, too. But all he did was make things more difficult, and Sehun couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if he hadn’t knocked Junmyeon out in time. 

It seemed, however, that Junmyeon was much more enraged than Sehun thought. He was about to buy some breakfast and coffee to bring back to Jongdae and Baekhyun, but before he could even change out of his clothes, he received a phone call from Seulgi that made him stumble and lean against a wall for support as he listened. 

“Someone broke into our house,” Seulgi said, “The speedster…you know the white one who’s been around the city a couple of times? He was here.” 

“Are you both okay?” Sehun said as he tightly gripped his phone. Seulgi didn’t sound like she was in tears, so he hoped for the best. “What happened? He didn’t take Joohyun, did he?” 

For a second, Sehun imagined the worst, thinking of all the things Junmyeon might do to her if they were in the same room. Then he realized the better thing to wonder was what would Joohyun have done to Junmyeon if she laid her hands on him. 

"Does it look like I would?" Seulgi said with a slight laugh. Sehun relaxed. 

"I shot him in the leg," she finished. 

"You _shot_ a speedster?" Sehun said, lowering his voice as he remembered he was standing on a busy street, "While he was stationary or moving?" 

"Moving,” she said in such a tone that made Sehun wonder if she thought it had actually been hard to do. 

"Wow," Sehun managed, picturing Junmyeon clutching his leg and looking at Seulgi in shock, "You're amazing.” 

"It wasn't hard," Seulgi said, "You just have to time it right." 

"If you say so," Sehun said, "But stay with her, okay? He might come back." 

"Well, I'll shoot him again if he tries," Seulgi said. 

"I'll be right there in a second," Sehun said before hastily adding, "metaphorically." 

"Oh, you don't have to hide from me, Sehun," Seulgi said with another slight laugh, "Joohyun told me. I promise I won't tell anyone else.” 

“Of course she did,” Sehun sighed, “I’m surprised I didn’t realize you must’ve known earlier.” 

“You're doing good work out there, Sehun,” Seulgi added, “I knew I recognized my upper cut punch from somewhere." 

“What can I say,” Sehun smiled, “I learned from the best.” 

After hanging up, Sehun ran to Joohyun’s house, phasing straight through the door without knocking. He couldn’t imagine what her neighbors might say if they saw him dressed like this waiting around her front porch. Inside, he found Joohyun sitting on the couch, Seulgi next to her. 

“Joohyun?” Sehun asked, causing her to look up and shoot up off the couch to greet him, “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Joohyun said as he hugged her, “I just…” 

Sehun stepped back as Joohyun threw her hands up in the air and shook her head. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there in time to stop him,” Sehun said. 

“Oh, no, no…Seulgi handled it. I’m just upset because I really? Just reorganized everything?" she said, gesturing at the wreckage in her living room. Photos had fallen down, smashed on the floor, papers were scattered everywhere, and the window near the back was shattered. 

Seulgi busied herself by kicking the shards of glass away with her foot before carefully lifting the photos from the broken frames. She stared at the photo and smiled. Sehun didn’t have to look at it to know it was from her wedding with Joohyun. Honestly, if Jongdae said yes, someone would have to hold Sehun back from framing every single picture of their wedding all over their tiny apartment. 

“Here, I’ll help with that,” Sehun told Joohyun, grabbing a broom and a dustpan before cleaning up all the glass and rearranging her living room before she could say no. 

After he stopped and stood in front of her, sending a gust of wind blowing through her hair, she looked around and softened. 

“Thank you, Sehun,” she said with a sigh, “Just…get him soon. Before I do. Who knows what I’ll do to him?” 

One of her eyebrows twitched upwards, and Sehun realized it was lucky Joohyun had no powers. It would almost make it a fair fight between her and Junmyeon if he were the only one with powers. 

“Stay safe and stay alert,” Sehun said, “Call me if he comes back.” 

"I'll shoot him again if he tries," Seulgi said as she carefully lay the photos she collected on a table. 

On his way home as he was picking up breakfast, Sehun had been in the middle of arguing with the cashier who refused his money just because he was the Flash when he received a phone call from Baekhyun. 

“Hey,” Baekhyun said, “I know it isn’t like me to be up this early, but I had to call before Jongdae wakes up. What do you say we go for a little trip just you and me?” 

“Where?” Sehun asked, waiting until the cashier turned her back before he shoved a twenty in the tip jar. 

“Keystone,” Baekhyun said. If he wanted to willingly go back to Keystone, then it must’ve been for a very good reason. 

“Why?” Sehun asked after thanking the cashier. He picked up his box of bagels and ignored the stares, the murmurs of _It’s the Flash!_  

“Dr. Lee is gone, so we can’t interrogate him obviously. But I’ve been researching Dr. Choi,” Baekhyun began to say before Sehun interrupted him. 

“Stalking him,” Sehun said. As soon as he exited the bagel shop, he paused to take a picture with a kid at her mother’s request before continuing to walk down the street. He would’ve liked to sprint away from the crowd, but conversations were harder while he ran, and he needed to hear all of this. 

“You can’t stalk a dead man,” Baekhyun said, “Anyways…his wife is still alive. Do you want to talk to her and see what we can find?” 

“Yeah let’s do it,” Sehun said.

A second later, he was home, dropping the bagels on the coffee table. After changing, he snuck into his room to check on Jongdae who was still asleep, still nestled up in blankets. Sehun bent down, tempted to give Jongdae a good morning kiss before he straightened up. A kiss would wake Jongdae up. 

“What are the chances of Jongdae waking up early?” Sehun asked Baekhyun when they met in the hall. 

“Him? Waking up early? On a Saturday morning?” Baekhyun said before checking his phone for the time, “We easily have one hour. Forty-five minutes at minimum.”

“Fair,” Sehun said before offering Baekhyun a bagel, “So where does she live?”

Baekhyun took a bite of his bagel and opened his phone to show Sehun the map.

“Ten minutes away from Jongdae’s childhood house,” Baekhyun said as they entered the stairwell, “Think that’s too much of a coincidence?" 

“There’s only one way to find out,” Sehun said before grasping Baekhyun’s hand as he quickly looked at the map, attempting to memorize the directions as best as he could, “Are the cameras disabled?” 

“You know it,” Baekhyun grinned, “Take us there, Flash.” 

Sehun smiled and whisked them down the stairwell, zipping past downtown, and heading straight for the freeways. They were about to exit the outskirts of Central City when Sehun looped around, spotting construction workers installing a new sign. It was incomplete, the workers still in the process of drilling in letters, but Sehun read what had already been mounted on the board and fled before he could watch them finish the sign.

 

 

WELCOME TO CENTRAL CITY

HOME OF THE FL—

 

 

After thirty seconds of getting lost in a residential neighborhood, Sehun finally found Mrs. Choi’s house and stopped behind a few large trees. He bent over to catch his breath, managing to grab Baekhyun’s arm to stop him from falling over. 

“I appreciate you bringing me here dressed in anything but my corgi sweatpants,” Baekhyun said between a wheeze, “but I am never eating anything ever again before you run me off.” 

“Sorry,” Sehun said, thumping Baekhyun’s back as he breathed, “Are you okay?” 

Baekhyun made a face and attempted to nod before he spotted something on Sehun and widened his eyes. 

“ _Sehun_ ,” he said, pointing at Sehun’s chest, “Is that…what I think it is?” 

Sehun looked downwards and found the ring dangling from his neck. It must have fallen out of his shirt after he bent over. He hastily stuffed it back into his shirt before he realized it was only Baekhyun and pulled it out again. 

“I…” Sehun said, “yeah.” 

Baekhyun straightened up and examined the ring, holding it up to the sun before he dropped it, 

"Wow," Baekhyun grinned and tousled Sehun's hair. "Fucking _finally_." 

"How do you think I should propose?" Sehun asked, placing the chain back under his shirt. 

" _Bro_ ," Baekhyun loudly said, swinging an arm over Sehun’s shoulder, "It's _Jongdae_. How many years have you loved each other? Anything will be fine." 

Sehun groaned and hid his face in his hands. Of course anything would be fine, but he wanted it to be _perfect_. Something that was deserving of Jongdae. 

"I can't wait for both of you to fight over me...I can be only one person's best man after all," Baekhyun smugly said, a wide smile sliding onto his face. 

Sehun sighed before kicking the pavement lightly with his foot.

“I want to ask him after everything’s resolved,” he said a little softer. Because he would fix everything. He would. From Godspeed to the second killer.

Baekhyun squeezed his shoulder and nodded. 

“Then let’s see if Dr. Choi’s wife can help us,” Baekhyun said before looking around the sleepy neighborhood, “Which one is it?” 

“This one isn’t it?” Sehun said, pointing across the street. 

A few moments later, Baekhyun knocked on the door as Sehun attempted to hide his broad shoulders behind him. Sure, he’d faced robbers and fires, but things like speaking at a work meeting? Answering the phone? Knocking on someone’s door? He’d rather let someone else, someone like Baekhyun handle that. 

The door opened to reveal an older woman who peered at them through thick glasses.

"Good morning, Mrs. Choi," Baekhyun said, "We're associates of your husband. It okay if we ask you some questions?"

The older woman pulled her cardigan tighter over her shoulders and squinted at them. 

"Oh, yes," she said, opening the door wider, "I always thought his associates would be older. You two look too young to have known my husband.”

“We’re older than we look,” Baekhyun said.

The answer seemed to satisfy Mrs. Choi, and she guided them into her living room.

“What is this about?” she said as she sank into a large armchair. She gestured at Sehun and Baekhyun to sit across from her on a couch lined with knitted blankets. 

“Did your husband ever discuss his cases with you?” Baekhyun said as he sat down. Sehun sat beside him and watched her expression.

“Yes,” Mrs. Choi nodded, “of course there was a limit to what he could tell me, but he did ask for my opinion and help sometimes. He said he solved cases faster when we worked together.” 

A small smile flitted across her face. 

“Do you remember a case from fifteen years ago? The murder of the Kims?” Baekhyun said. 

"The Kims?" Mrs. Choi said, frowning as she tried to remember, "I don't know. My husband worked on so many cases that it’s hard to remember all of them.” 

"A couple was murdered a few minutes away from here," Sehun said, "Their son was the only one who surived.” 

"Oh," she said, clasping her hands together," Oh yes...nasty business. That poor boy. I wonder where he is now…Yes. I remember. Is there anyone who could forget what happened that night? People still talk about what happened sometimes…The city’s never seen anything like that.” 

"The National Forensics Association wants us to reopen the case after recent evidence of a second killer has resurfaced," Baekhyun smoothly said. Sehun wondered if he had practiced his lies or improvised everything in the moment. Knowing him, he probably fabricated every lie on the spot.

“That’s terrible,” Mrs. Choi said, shaking her head, “That was the first case he let go.” 

"Let go?" Sehun asked. 

"Yes," Mrs. Choi said, "If he's assigned to a case, he won't let go of it until he solves it. But that time, he gave it to that other boy…who he was so fond of. He used to come around for dinner often before he transferred to Central City, but I've forgotten his name." 

Sehun and Baekhyun exchanged a knowing glance. 

"By any chance," Sehun said, "Is it Dr. Lee?" 

"Why, yes!” Mrs. Choi said, clapping her hands together once, "Yes…That's the man. The last time I saw him was at my husband’s funeral. He was always kind. Smart, too.” 

"Do you remember why he let go of that case?" Sehun asked, unable to look away from Mrs. Choi. They were so close. He could feel it. 

"No," she shook her head, "He never told me. But I do have his old notes, journals, and case files he hoarded over the years. He told me to destroy them, but I never had the heart to. They’re his legacy, you know." 

"Can we please see them?" Baekhyun asked, "They could be vital in uncovering the rest of this case." 

"Of course," she said, slowly trying to stand up. Sehun darted off his seat to help her stand. She patted his hand in gratitude and continued speaking. "They're in the basement. I don't know specifically which box contains what you’re looking for since he wasn't as organized at home as he was in the lab. But you're welcome to look through everything." 

Sehun and Baekhyun thanked her as she guided them through her house. Along the way, she pointed out her husband in the photos they passed. She managed a smile, pressed a hand over his picture, and let out a sigh. Sehun didn’t know how she had survived without her husband. Sehun didn’t think he would ever be able to move on if he lost anyone he loved. Not at all. He’d die before that happened. Or he’d even tear time and run back into the past to prevent such a thing from happening. 

"Here," she said, pulling a door that opened to reveal darkness. She fumbled on the wall before turning the lights on, revealing a set of stairs.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me," Mrs. Choi said, patting their arms before leaving. 

"Too bad Jongdae's not here," Baekhyun said as they carefully walked down the stairs, "It's still so dim here…We could use him as a light source." 

"You know why he can't be here," Sehun said, dragging his hands along the wall to feel his way downwards. 

Baekhyun only hummed in response and waited for Sehun to join him at the bottom of the stairs. When Sehun stood beside him, he looked into the basement and saw a mountain of boxes piled up in stacks that almost touched the ceiling. 

"That..." Sehun said as he looked around the room, "is a lot of boxes." 

"I'm so glad you're here to read everything in a second," Baekhyun said, “Could you imagine if I had to sit there and read everything myself? We’d be here for years.” 

"But I still have to go through it all," Sehun said, "It might look like I’m reading everything in a second to you, but to me, it feels like hours.” 

"Better get started then," Baekhyun said, pulling the nearest box towards Sehun and wiping the dust off the top. 

Sehun sighed and lifted the lid. 

"Come on," Baekhyun grinned, pleased he wouldn’t have to read a single thing, "Do it for—" 

Before he could finish what he was saying, Sehun grabbed the first journal he saw, flicked through its pages, and placed it aside before he read through everything else in the container. He continued, reading through box after box after box, finding nothing relevant. There were notes on cases about a triple homicide from two decades ago, a serial killer from five decades ago, but nothing yet about the murders of Jongdae’s parents. 

It seemed that at least the last two boxes Sehun looked through were chronologically ordered, so he counted the years and picked up a box he hoped would be from the right year. Luckily, he had picked the right box and began looking. But he had already seen this case file, these pictures, so he continued digging through the box. At the bottom, he noticed an aged journal with a leather cover, sealed with a metal clasp. Sehun opened it and felt his blood run cold after he finished it. 

"—the love of your life...Do it for Jongdae," Baekhyun finally finished his sentence. 

Then Baekhyun blinked, turned to look at all the open boxes that had been moved around the room. 

"Fuck," he said, "You're incredible, Sehun."

"Baekhyun," Sehun said, thrusting Dr. Choi's journal at his chest, "Read. This." 

"What?" Baekhyun said, flipping through the journal, "This will take me a month to read." 

"Here," Sehun said, fingers trembling as he guided him to one particular entry, "This one. At least. Just..." 

He ran fingers through his hair and trailed off, unable to articulate what he was feeling. 

"Okay," Baekhyun said. He stared at Sehun’s expression before he quieted and dropped his gaze to the page and started reading. Sehun watched as Baekhyun paled, his eyebrows shot up, his jaw dropping open as he turned page after page. After he reached the end of the entry, he closed the book with a snap and met Sehun’s gaze with wide eyes. 

" _Fuck_ ," Baekhyun repeated, "Jongdae's going to _kill_ him." 

Sehun could only nod and wordlessly gesture his absolute agreement. 

The truth, it seemed, was too overwhelming to verbally discuss, and the two of them could only sit on the floor in silence, processing what they had just read. Understanding the truth. 

The truth, it seemed, was Dr. Lee did in fact tamper with the evidence. Dr. Lee hadn’t lied when he said there was nothing he and Dr. Choi didn’t know about each other, as Dr. Choi had found out what Dr. Lee had done. He hadn’t wanted to turn him in, so he only quit the case and relinquished supervision of all following procedures to Dr. Lee instead. 

"So he did do it," Sehun said at last, staring blankly at the floor, "Do we tell Jongdae? Should we tell Jongdae?"

Baekhyun was silent for another minute before he finally answered. 

"Maybe we should wait until we have the whole truth," Baekhyun said, "until we know why." 

"Okay," Sehun managed to say. 

Then retrieving Dr. Lee would be their first priority because not only would that directly cut off Godspeed’s supply of Velocity, but also would that enable them to interrogate Dr. Lee until he broke and gave what Jongdae had so desperately searched for all these years. 

Closure.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

The news often relied on outside tips to find stories. Some were good tips that resulted in a new front page article. Some were bad tips, either not interesting enough or completely falsified. Most were anonymous tips who came from people too scared to come forward but too stubborn to let an important truth stay buried. Today, Sehun’s co-workers had received a few anonymous tips. One was about a city official accused of bribery and extortion. Another was about the mayor’s secret plans to establish another foundation for underprivileged children. And another one was about some ice cream store with links to underground gangs. 

But anonymous tips were not the reason why Sehun and Joohyun were sitting in Qian's office today. No one had anonymously tipped Qian off to what they both had done because Joohyun had exposed them all by herself on national television all that time ago. So here they were suffering through a second meeting with Qian to discuss disciplinary measures for their Flash article schemes. 

"Do you have anything else to say for yourself?" Qian asked, tapping her pen on the desk as she studied them carefully. 

"Yes," Joohyun said, "absolutely." 

Qian raised her eyebrows and gestured at her to continue speaking. As Joohyun talked, Sehun dragged his gaze around the files on Qian’s desk, hoping to distract himself from the possibility that he could be fired within the hour. He tilted his head to read the heading of a file that was sticking out of the corner of her desk. 

The F- 

Sehun had to make sure that F stood for things that were not the Flash. 

Flowers. 

Files. 

Fuck. 

"Hey, is that _Superman_?" Sehun shouted out of nowhere, pointing out the window. In the time it took for Qian to look, Sehun had already checked the file and sat back down, planning his next move. 

"Don't do that," Qian protested when she looked back, "Don't make matters worse." 

Sehun squirmed in his seat, wondering if the other newspapers around the city had received the same file.

"Joohyun, you've made your case," Qian said, "now you, Sehun. Do you have anything to say?" 

"Yeah," Sehun said, his heart beginning to thump loudly in his chest, "are you really going to publish an article about the Flash's real identity?"

What if other newspapers really had received the same file with that information inside? What if they already knew who he was? What if they were preparing to leak his identity to the public as they were sitting here? 

Joohyun gasped and looked at Qian for an answer.

"How did you hear that we received that information?" Qian asked, eyes narrowed. It seemed at least that she hadn’t opened the file yet if she still treated him normally. "Only I knew about the contents of that file." 

"You can't," Joohyun said before Sehun could think of a lie, "If you do that, we’ll lose the Flash. He'll go into hiding because he won't feel safe." 

"Think of his family," Sehun said. 

"I never said I would," Qian firmly said, "I only considered it because someone associated with the mayor directly suggested it to me. He thought it would be a good idea to reveal his identity to foster trust between everyone." 

Sehun didn’t have to ask Qian to know who she was referring to. 

"That's bul-" Joohyun began to say before Sehun hastily cut in. 

"Do you know if this person sent the information to the rest of the newspapers around town?" Sehun asked. 

"He promised me an exclusive," Qian said, "so I doubt that.” 

Sehun slightly relaxed. 

"You can't listen to him," Joohyun said, steadily raising her voice, "Fire me if you have to. But you can't. Think of the man behind the mask, the human behind the hero. If you do this, what will happen to him? Do we even think of him before we think of ourselves? Newspapers shouldn't be run like this...This is someone's whole life. We can't give it away no matter how well known they are."

Despite the situation, Sehun smiled as he watched Joohyun sit up straight, pointing an accusatory finger at Qian as she delivered her opinion. 

"Joohyun," Qian said after waiting to see if Joohyun had anything left to say, "if you think you know so much about running newspapers, then maybe you should start one. I mean it." 

Joohyun fell silent. Sehun studied Qian's expression, but she didn’t seem upset. 

"Just…don't do it," Joohyun said again. 

"When did I ever say I was?" Qian said, and finally she smiled, "I know people have a low opinion of the news, but we're not the paparazzi. There are many things we expose, but the Flash's identity is not one of them." 

Sehun slowly exhaled and slumped against his chair. 

"Are you going to destroy the file?" Sehun asked. 

"Yes," Qian said, “I’ll even do it now since you two seem to have problems trusting me even when I should be the one distrustful of you.” 

She rummaged through the stack of files on her desk before pulling out the file Sehun had just looked through. She held it in her hands for a long second, a long, scary second in which Sehun was afraid she would peek inside and discover his secret. But then she turned on the shredder beside her desk and shoved the file through it. After the loud whine of the shredder died down, the file nothing more but scraps of paper, Qian returned her attention to them and sighed. 

"You're two very promising writers and editors. Both of you," she said at last, "but please be honest with me, okay? If you want to write, then write. If you want to edit, then edit. Just tell me before you do anything like that again, and I’m sure we can work something out. Do I make myself clear?" 

Both of them nodded, and Sehun mentally thanked Qian for not firing them as they stood up, prepared to go back to their own office to resume their work. Sehun had only just closed the door of Qian’s office behind them before Joohyun pitched a new idea to him. 

“If he wants to destroy the Flash,” Joohyun said, leaning closer so only Sehun would hear as they walked past rows and rows of desks, “then let’s destroy Godspeed.” 

“I’ve been trying,” Sehun muttered. 

In a civil way. Destroy was very strong word, and Sehun only wanted to put him in handcuffs and a prison cell.

“Well, if he wants to use the press, then we’ll use it against him,” Joohyun said. 

Sehun considered her words and snapped his fingers after thinking of a new plan. 

“The Mayor kind of likes the Flash,” he said, “right?” 

“Please,” Joohyun said, “have you _heard_ him talk about you? He’s one of your biggest fans. He condemned your critics in front of the whole city remember?”

“What if we interview him and ask him about the Flash and Godspeed? If he says he disapproves of Godspeed, then we’ll sway public opinion towards our favor,” Sehun said. The Flash might fight with his fists and his speed, but Sehun fought with writing. “Many people listen to the mayor, so if he says he doesn’t like Godspeed, then the whole city won’t like Godspeed.” 

“Get your bag,” Joohyun said, pushing open the door of their office with a slam, “Let’s interview the mayor.”

“But we don’t have an appointment,” Sehun said as Joohyun picked up her coat and her bag before motioning at Sehun to do the same.

“I’m getting us an interview with the mayor, and that’s that,” Joohyun said. She briskly walked out the door, expecting Sehun to follow her. 

Nothing was impossible to Joohyun. If she wanted to fly, then she’d fly. If she wanted to fight, then she’d fight. And nowadays, as Sehun happily watched, if she wanted to write, then she’d write. 

So an hour later, Sehun was not surprised when they sat in the mayor’s office, recording tape on the table, notebooks out.

"Your son's not here?" Sehun said, half-expecting Junmyeon to pop out of a shadowy corner. 

"No," the mayor said. Today he wore a white tie, still as carefully ironed as all his other ties. What looked like an expensive golden silk handkerchief poked out of his breast pocket. Not a hair was out of place. Junmyeon resembled his father very much. "He has other duties he must attend to." 

Sehun was surprised. He had thought that Junmyeon was running around the city terrorizing people because he was jobless and had nothing to do. 

"Now, Qian mentioned that you would like to interview me?" the mayor said, "she's the daughter of one of my closest friends, so I did this favor for her. But she mentioned it's for the Flash?" 

"Yes," Joohyun said, "we believe it would help bolster the Flash's credibility and favor with the public since a lot of his critics are still vocalizing their dissent. He’s just returned after a month, and he should know that we believe in him and that the city is better if he stays." 

"I agree," the mayor smiled, "he's done so much for us...Did you know he saved my life and my son's life? I'm indebted to him. This interview is the least I could do." 

Sehun dropped his gaze downwards so he wouldn’t have to continue to see the mayor’s smile. He turned his attention to a few pictures around the mayor’s desk. Mayor Kim and his wife holding a baby Junmyeon together at some expensive event. Mayor Kim and his son at what looked like Junmyeon's college graduation. Mayor Kim and Junmyeon together at a golf course grabbing each other's polo-clad shoulders and raising their thumbs up.

"All right," Joohyun said, "In your opinion, is the city better off with the Flash or without the Flash?" 

They had agreed that Joohyun would ask the mayor the questions, and Sehun would transcribe the conversation. Even though they had a recorder, it would be easier for Joohyun to scan the transcription for a specific quote rather than replaying the tape. Joohyun had joked that the recorder would catch anything Sehun would miss. Not that he’d actually miss anything. 

"Better," the mayor said, gesticulating firmly, "without a doubt, better. The crime rates have dropped. Criminals have been put behind bars. There hasn't been a single Captain Cold sighting since the last time she threatened my son and me. That's all thanks to the Flash. I'm sure."

Sehun averted his eyes and focused on typing. Since Soojung. That wasn't his impact. That was something he wished he could’ve changed. 

"Some police complain that he gets in the way of their jobs," Joohyun said, "are those complaints valid?"

"I suppose," the mayor thoughtfully said, "they must not like feeling unemployed. But what they can do in ten minutes, the Flash can do in seconds. Perhaps if they worked together to coordinate responses to attacks over the city, we'd really be looking at something amazing. I know the Flash can't be everywhere at once, but even if he tried to be, wouldn't he feel...exhausted? He should depend on others to help him." 

Sehun slowly looked up. It _was_ exhausting. It was. Sometimes he felt like he couldn't physically do everything all by himself. 

"I see," Joohyun said, "then what about Godspeed? The other speedster that's been sighted around the city? Should he work with the Flash?" 

The mayor let out a booming laugh before waving his hands. 

"That fool?" he said, "he's there to clean up tiny messes. He can't do what the Flash can. That's for sure. Maybe after he trains for a few years, but right now, I think the Flash would be faster without his help. There are other more qualified people in law enforcement without powers to assist the Flash." 

Joohyun couldn't help but grin at the mayor’s words, but Sehun’s smile was more hesitant. Junmyeon’s plan had failed. What would he do after realizing his father didn’t care for Godspeed? 

"You previously gave a statement condemning the critics of those who said Flash was the one smashing up the city. Do you still believe in what you said?" Joohyun said.

"Absolutely," the mayor said, "now that we know Godspeed is the white speedster, then what's to say that's not him? Honestly it probably was, and his attempts at helping the city are probably a sign of penance."

"Do you think Godspeed knows you?" Joohyun asked, "since his name is taken from something you often say?"

"It's possible," the mayor said after a pause, "but does that mean I'm going to stop saying a phrase I like? It's supposed to send good wishes to everyone no matter where they are in life, no matter what stage of life they're in. Wherever they're going, I wish them the best. And this lunatic can't take that good sentiment behind my words."

He pounded his fist on the desk and frowned.

"One final question. If the Flash was here right now, what would you say to him?" Joohyun asked.

Sehun stared at the floor, careful not to look up in case his expression betrayed anything. The mayor had a lot of nice things to say, but there were always a few things he could improve on, right? Reaction time? Damage control?

"Oh, absolutely," the mayor said, relaxing as he smiled, "I want to thank him for saving my life. And my son's. My son is the most important person in my life, and I don't know what I'd do without him...There are many people who don't believe in me naturally because I'm a politician and politicians all lie, right? But please believe me when I say I believe in the Flash. I believe in whoever is behind that suit, and to him I wish him the best. Godspeed, son."

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sure, Mayor Kim wasn't the best mayor the city ever had. But he wasn't overwhelmingly hated, wasn't visibly corrupt, so after his interview was released, it had the effect on the public Joohyun wanted. Her writing could always sway anyone’s opinions after all. Sehun had framed the article and hung it in their office, admiring the way her own name was written right under the headline.

Now, any remaining bad press had faded, and critics were silenced. Those who had nothing good to say said nothing at all, preferring to shift their attention to Godspeed. They labeled him a delinquent. Inexperienced. Inferior. 

When Sehun was doing any minor saves here and there and Godspeed showed up, hoping to snatch even a fragment of the glory the Flash would receive, all the applause went to Sehun instead. Children around the city were some of Sehun’s loudest fans and could be often heard comparing him with Godspeed. 

"I always like the Flash better.” 

“He's our original hero.”

“Godspeed's just trying to copy him." 

The final blow was the release of a video with proof Baekhyun had collected around the CCTVs that proved that Godspeed was the one who had smashed the cars and the windows, that Godspeed was the one causing damage to reverse moments later, that Godspeed was responsible for starting the gym fire. 

"You really did this?" Sehun asked after he watched the video Baekhyun had made, "Are you…okay with it?" 

"Yeah," Baekhyun said. Sehun searched Baekhyun's expression for any shadow, any wrinkle. But there was only a familiar bright smile. "I did it for you. So this doesn't bother me." 

Sehun smiled and touched his shoulder. 

"When I was a kid," Baekhyun said, swiveling around in his chair, "I did what I did because I wanted to and because the organization told me to. I didn't know any better. But I'm not a kid anymore, and if I want to hack again, then I'll do it. For you. You're the good in all of us, Sehun. Me? Jongdae? We've all got ghosts haunting our pasts, but you keep us here. You keep us in the light. You say everything you do is for us, but don't you know everything we do is for you, too?" 

Sehun climbed onto the chair and launched himself into Baekhyun's arms to hug him. The chair shook, threatened to topple over, but who cared? Baekhyun laughed as he hugged Sehun back. 

"But Baekhyun," Sehun said, "how many times have you made us feel better with just a joke? Just a smile? Even if you prefer working in the dark sometimes, you still shine so bright. You're like a black light or something." 

Baekhyun grinned. 

"Do you want to hit post or can I please have the honors?" he asked. 

"You do it," Sehun nodded, "It's all your hard work after all." 

Baekhyun cheerfully slammed his finger on the mouse and watched as the video was uploaded. 

"Now we wait," Baekhyun said after the loading bar hit one hundred percent, "for people to watch it, and for it to spread across social media." 

"How long will that take?" Sehun asked. 

"Hm," Baekhyun said, tapping his fingers on the desk, "I'd give it an hour." 

It seemed that Baekhyun had manipulated algorithms to make the video appear in everyone's suggested video bar, and once enough people had watched, the video spread fast, almost faster than the first false video released about the Flash. 

And sure enough, the first thing news anchors reported on the morning news the day after was the video Baekhyun released. People waiting for the chance to criticize someone, anyone at all attacked him and advocated for his arrest.

"He has to answer for his crimes. He's essentially terrorizing Central City at this point. This is terrorism." 

"Someone who starts fires to stop them for attention is not a hero."

"What we clearly have here is someone wildly jealous of the Flash, jealous enough to cause harm to the city in the pursuit of the same attention and love the Flash has received." 

But perhaps more deadly was the way it spread on social media. News anchors had nothing on the anonymous people sitting behind keyboards. 

 _yo Godspeed ain't shit...lock him up_  

 _The Flash deserves an apology._  

 _who the fuck does this condom looking ass think he is lmaooo_  

After that incident, Sehun hadn’t seen even a trace of Godspeed when he patrolled the city. The only white blurs that caught his eye were the streaks of hanging lights he passed. The only Godspeed Sehun saw were the images of him printed on protestors’ signs as they stood in front of the police department and demanded his arrest. The mayor was expected to make a statement about the current state of affairs soon.

Sehun went to work this morning cautious of the atmosphere after he passed by not one, not two, but three different protests. He hadn’t seen this many people at a protest before, not even when the city was protesting him. This…was something else. The truth had inflamed the people more than any lie could, and Sehun was prepared to dissolve fights if they started.

When he finally reached work after taking a few detours, Sehun saw his co-workers congratulating Joohyun in the hallway on her article again. It was only when he saw her smiling, shaking everyone’s hand that he finally relaxed.

"You're incredible," Sehun smiled once he reached her, "You're really such an amazing writer, and it's too bad you only restarted writing only now."

"So are you, Sehun," Joohyun smiled, grabbing his arm and leading him back to their office. "I only had the chance to do this again with my own name because of you. You inspire me.” 

"That's how I felt when I first met you. Did you know that?" Sehun asked. He recalled when he was a freshman in college signing up for the literary magazine and the school newspaper. Two big projects he didn't know if he could handle. Joohyun was in both, had written for both, and it was her and her writing that convinced him to stay. 

"Oh, really?" Joohyun said, walking inside their office after Sehun opened the door for them. 

"Yeah," Sehun said as he took his seat. For a moment, he looked at one of the photos hanging on their wall that showed him and Joohyun together, taken at her college graduation. He looked back at the Joohyun sitting before him today and smiled. 

“I am the writer I am today because of all the days and nights we spent writing together to make our own deadlines. I am who I am because you've shown me what willpower is,” Sehun finished. 

"Sehun," Joohyun said with a smile, "when I say you're my favorite boy, I really mean it. But you're really one of my favorite people, too. Every part of yourself inspires me. You the writer. You the Flash. You the little freshman who outwrote all the other writers with his first article.” 

"That means a lot from you," Sehun laughed. 

"Don’t think this will make me go any easier on you," Joohyun said, her smile widening, "I want a copy of your article submitted to the copy editor in an hour or you'll wish Godspeed was the only one of your problems." 

"Got it," Sehun said, pulling his laptop, "An hour. Promise." 

The workday progressed like any other average workday. Sehun worked on his articles, sent a draft to the copy editor, and received some edits in return. Joohyun didn't have any articles to write, so she continued her primary job and scribbled green marks in the margins of printed drafts and typed comments when she had digital drafts to work with. 

For a second, Sehun felt like he was just a writer with nothing but deadlines to worry about. No Godspeed. No potential terror attacks. No Flash duties. He spent more time anticipating his dinner date with Jongdae and no time at all worrying about what Junmyeon was plotting. 

After promising to bring back a coffee and snacks, Sehun headed for the break room to stretch his legs. As he waited for the coffee machine to start working, Sehun glanced at the news blaring from the TV in the corner. It was a rerun of the Godspeed videos that some critic talked over. 

"Do you see how he sets the fire without hesitating? He looks around once, as you can see in this slowed down footage, and disappears as soon as the fire starts. What type of a monster does that? This is a school. If the Flash weren’t there to stop him, then what would've happened?" a critic loudly said as he pointed at the screenshot of Godspeed outside an auditorium.

The program then showed footage of Godspeed entering the school moments later, picking up children to run out. This wasn’t the same school Sehun had just saved. Perhaps this was what Godspeed had been doing while Sehun was trapped in that spare bedroom. 

Suddenly, Godspeed spoke. 

"I'm here." 

Sehun was confused why his voice was louder than the TV's volume and the critic. And he hadn't remembered Godspeed speaking either when he watched Baekhyun's video. 

"Does anyone know—" Godspeed said before the critic spoke over him. 

"There," the critic said, pausing the screen. He began to analyze the screen, but Godspeed’s voice still sounded.

" _Attention,"_ Godspeed said, and that was when Sehun heard screaming echoing from the main room of their floor. "I am looking for the person who wrote the article on the Flash and the mayor. Bae Joohyun."

Sehun's eyes widened, and he was just about to change into his suit before he realized he was _here._ In his office. Where he was supposed to be Sehun the writer and Sehun the writer only. He looked around to see if anyone else in the break room was looking at him and was just about to run off to at least check on Joohyun before one of his co-workers grabbed his arm. 

"Sehun!" she said, "let's _go_. What are you standing around for? Godspeed is here." 

"I can't," Sehun said even as she pushed him towards the stairs, "I have to find Joohyun. He's here for her." 

His co-worker hesitated before she nodded. 

"Her office is on the way, so quickly get her, but I...Godspeed makes me so afraid. I'll meet you outside," she said in a hushed voice. 

"I'm sorry," Sehun said, "I'm sure the Flash will be here soon. Don't worry."

She smiled. 

"You're right," she said as they began to run through the hallway, "We'll be fine." 

That was only if Sehun could escape from here unnoticed. 

But the amount of people around him rushing for the exit made it difficult for Sehun to turn back and look for Joohyun, and he pushed himself through the crowd as politely as possible. As soon as he was about to reach Joohyun's office, Godspeed approached and began whisking everyone away. Sehun wanted to badly to leap into action and do something, but he couldn’t do anything. Not with all these people watching. 

When he quickly twisted the doorknob, he heard a snatch of laughter before he was taken to the main room. His other co-workers sat on the floor, cowering as Godspeed darted forth, collecting all the people on the floor before everyone was seated. Sehun watched as some co-workers already started crying, and he began counting how many hostages there were before he saw Joohyun.

He called her name, getting to his feet to run to Joohyun who was seated across from him on the other side of the room. But before he could take even a step forward, something bolted into him and knocked him back to the floor. 

"Stay," that same, metallic voice said. 

Sehun looked up to find Godspeed standing above him. People seated around him started screaming at his sudden appearance. 

"Quiet," Godspeed shouted, turning away from Sehun as he stalked around the room. But his words and behavior had the opposite effect, as more and more people started covering their faces and cried. Sehun wanted so desperately to help, and he felt the lightning crackle inside of him, waiting to be let out. But if he did, his identity would be revealed. 

"Why are you so afraid of me?" Godspeed asked, stopping in the center of the room, "I've only helped you. Helped this city. So why these tears, why all this fear?"

Everyone remained silent, but Sehun who had seen the man behind the white mask was not afraid for himself and spoke. 

"You save people from the damage you personally caused to look like a hero," Sehun said, "Everything you've done has been for yourself." 

Godspeed grabbed Sehun and pulled him up by his collar, earning cries and gasps from the crowd. 

"I've watched the Flash phase through walls," Godspeed said as Sehun grabbed at Godspeed's hands, feeling his feet leave the floor, "I never knew people with super speed could do that until I watched him.” 

“What’s your point,” Sehun gritted his teeth as Godspeed lifted him up higher off the ground as someone screamed. 

Though he wanted nothing more than to punch Godspeed straight across the face, he didn’t. Because to the rest of his co-workers who were watching, he was supposed to be Sehun, journalist. 

Afraid. 

Scared. 

Terrified for his life. 

So that’s who he pretended to be as he resisted the urge to glare back in defiance and only tried to pull Godspeed’s hands off of him. 

“The point is,” Godspeed said, dropping Sehun on the floor so he could restrain him with one hand. He lifted his other hand and vibrated it until it was nothing but a blur. “He could’ve used that ability for more. I bet if I stick my hand through you and stop vibrating while it’s halfway through your chest, it’ll kill you.” 

Sehun held his breath and debated between continuing to do nothing or exposing himself as he watched Godspeed move his hand closer and closer to his chest. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Sehun closed his eyes at the last moment and wondered if he told Jongdae he loved him enough times today. He considered using his speed to save his own life, but— 

“Wait,” someone shouted, causing Sehun’s eyes to fly open and Godspeed to turn his head. Sehun dared to look down, finding Godspeed’s hand millimeters away from his chest. 

Across the room, Joohyun had leapt up, a scowl deepening on her face. 

“You said you were here for me,” she said, her voice unwavering and her fists clenched, “So put him down and let’s talk.” 

Godspeed laughed and let go of Sehun who gasped as he fell on the floor. His co-workers beside him quietly asked him if he was okay, and he felt hands help him up and rub his shoulders. But before he could recover or fight to keep his heart calm, he watched Godspeed advance to Joohyun. 

“ _No_ ,” he shouted, struggling to sit up as his co-workers pinned him down, “Leave her alone.” 

“Do you want me to finish what I was about to do?” Godspeed said, raising a blurred hand in the air as he stood in front of her, “It’s true. I was here for you.” 

“You didn’t like the article I wrote didn’t you,” Joohyun said, a small, wry smile appearing on her face, “It’s okay. You’re entitled to your opinion. Sorry the rest of the city agrees with me. How does it feel, knowing even the mayor prefers the Flash over you?” 

That was possibly the worst thing Joohyun could say, and she knew it as she watched him let out a snarl and shove his face near hers. 

“The Flash isn’t here,” Godspeed said, trying but failing to keep his voice level. 

Sehun made up his mind. If Godspeed even raised a hand or used even a little of his speed, Sehun would have no choice to reveal himself. But Joohyun had glanced over to Sehun and slightly jerked her head. 

 _Don’t. Don’t reveal yourself_. 

That was what she probably wanted to say. But Sehun couldn’t bear to sit there and do nothing, and he continued to watch between his fingers as his heart pounded in his chest. 

“What do you want? Why are you really here?” Joohyun asked, “I doubt you visited just to tell me you hate my piece.” 

Godspeed let out a strangled exhale before stalking around the room. He snatched someone’s bag off of the chair, dumped its contents on the floor, and held it out. 

“Cellphones. Put them in here. Don’t even dare to contact anyone, or you’ll regret it,” Godspeed said. As he walked around the room, Sehun’s co-workers dropped their phones into the bag before quickly drawing their hands back as if they had been burned. As Godspeed turned his back to threaten a woman, Sehun turned around to conceal his hands before he sent a message to Jongdae. 

 _godspeed @work help_  

He turned back, holding his phone in shaking hands and hoping Godspeed hadn’t seen what he had done. A moment later, a pair of white boots stopped right in front of him. Sehun slowly lifted his gaze up to see eyes hidden by golden lens staring down at him. 

“Too bad you’re not fast enough to call the police without me knowing, right?” he chuckled before snatching Sehun’s phone up and tossing it in the bag. Sehun exhaled and pulled his knees to his chest. 

“All right,” Godspeed said after he zipped up the bag and dropped it on top of a desk, “Now back to business.”

He walked around the room with his hands crossed around his chest. 

“You ruined my image,” he said, “everywhere I go, all I here is _Godspeed’s a criminal, Godspeed should be locked up_ …It disgusts me. How dare you call Central City’s savior such things?” 

He paused to catch his breath and stopped in the center of the room. 

“Now it’s only fair you fix what you’ve done,” he said, “Right?” 

No one answered him.

“Right?” he bellowed, kicking in someone’s direction. The person yelped and nodded before shielding her head with her hands. 

“Let them all go,” Joohyun calmly said, “This is between you and me.” 

“No,” Godspeed shook his head, “Your article went through how many copy editors, how many editors before getting approved by _her_?” 

He pointed at Qian who was staring at the ground with wide eyes. 

“So you’re all at fault,” Godspeed finished, “Every single one of you is responsible, so work together to undo the damage you’ve done.” 

“What do you expect us to do about it?” some writer hesitantly spoke, “once a story is released, it can’t be taken back.” 

Stories could be recanted if the writer discovered they had reported false facts, but everything Joohyun had said about Godspeed was all true. 

“But you can _fix_ it,” Godspeed insisted, “Say you were wrong. Take it back. Say you lied.” 

“I’d rather die,” Joohyun coldly said. She didn’t look visibly afraid. Sehun didn’t know how she could manage such composure and thought it was a shame she had no powers. If she fought by his side, he was sure they could avert any crisis in seconds. 

“Then let’s test that,” Godspeed said. He crouched down to her level, vibrated his hand, and moved it close to his forehead. Sehun took in a shaky breath and prepared to intervene. “Last chance.” 

“Kill me,” Joohyun said, raising a single eyebrow as she stared at Godspeed’s hand, “and you’ll only not only prove my article right but also add murder to your list of crimes. Go ahead.” 

Godspeed swore and raised his hand in the air. 

“ _No_ ,” Sehun said, scrambling to his feet. But his co-workers held him back, pushing him to the ground. 

“Don’t,” one of them whispered. 

“He’ll kill you, too,” the other said. 

Godspeed had finally processed what Joohyun had said and stood up, unblurring his hand and returning it to his side. 

“Very well,” he said, “I knew you’d say that. You leave me no choice.” 

Then he disappeared, leaving the people murmuring among themselves. Some began to shakily stand. Others questioned. 

“Is he really gone?” 

“Is that all?” 

“Are we safe?” 

Just as people began to head for the exit, Godspeed returned, carrying a box. A box with wires. When the people realized what it was, they screamed, attempting to run for the stairs. But Godspeed herded them back, shoved them on the floor, and ordered them to stay still. 

“You have five minutes,” Godspeed bellowed, pointing to the bomb’s timer, “Five minutes to do exactly what I ask.” 

Sehun watched Joohyun take a deep breath across the room. After she looked up and met his gaze, she shook her head after Sehun mimed running. Was his identity really worth protecting when lives were at stake? But Junmyeon had never killed anyone…not yet. So he wouldn’t, right? This was just a bluff, right? 

“Release a new article,” Godspeed said, “All of you. Right now. Reveal the Flash’s identity to the public.” 

“We don’t do that here,” Qian finally spoke up, “And we don’t give into the demands of a terrorists.”

“Shouldn’t we when there’s a _bomb_ about to go off?” someone said.

“If anyone even thinks of writing that article, consider yourself fired,” Qian said, glaring at everyone. 

“What will it be?” Godspeed said, turning to the crowd, “Your job or your life?” 

He plucked a laptop that had been left open on someone’s desk and held it out to the crowd.

“Any takers?” he said, “I’m sure strong writers like you could put together an article in minutes. Maybe even less.” 

A few of Sehun’s co-workers exchanged glances, wondering who would be brave enough. Godspeed continued taunting the crowd by counting down the exact time they had left.

“How would we do that,” one writer finally said, “if we don’t even know who he is? Do you expect us to make it up?” 

“Oh, no,” Godspeed laughed, “I know who he is. If you choose to take my offer, I’ll tell you.”

Sehun glanced at the timer and breathed after seeing they had four minutes left. Four minutes was enough time for the Flash, but it wasn’t enough for just Sehun. 

“Come _on_ ,” he said, waving a hand at the crowd, “You’d really die for a man you don’t know?” 

“Better to die for a hero than to listen to a villain,” Joohyun said. She tightly crossed her arms, but Sehun noticed how fast her chest was moving. He looked around, finding his co-workers in similar states. He could stop this. All he had to do was stand up run the bomb far away. Perhaps this was Junmyeon’s plan all along. Have someone reveal Sehun’s identity or force Sehun to reveal himself. 

“Better to not die at all,” a writer said, finally stumbling to his feet, “I’ll do it. Tell me his name.”

Sehun avoided eye contact with everyone and continually weighed his options again and again and again. Run or stay? Run or die? 

“Oh, good,” Godspeed laughed, clapping the writer on the back before grabbing his shoulder and squeezing it. The writer looked uncomfortable, lifting his hand up as if to push Godspeed away before changing his hand. “His name is—” 

“You’re fired,” Qian said.

“I want to _live_ ,” the writer suddenly shouted, gesticulating at the bomb on the desk beside him, “There’s three minutes left on that bomb, and—” 

"The Flash will be here," Qian loudly insisted, "just trust in him. We'll be fine." 

"But there's _three minutes_ ," the writer said, grabbing his hair. 

"He only needs three seconds," Qian said. 

Qian glared at the writer and sat with her back straight and her shoulders relaxed. Sehun didn’t know how people like her and Joohyun could remain so composed in times like this. Even he was afraid and he was the one with super speed. 

"The Flash?" Godspeed said, walking around the room before he stopped in front of Sehun. Sehun could feel him staring down at him, but he refused to give him attention. "I'd like to see him try and stop me. Where is he, anyways?" 

Sehun clenched his fist. Across the room, Joohyun was shooting him looks, shaking her head continuously, but what she wanted didn’t matter right now. What if the bomb really did go off? What if he was too afraid to act and caused casualties? Sehun stared at the timer. Two minutes left. 

"He'll come," someone else dared to speak. This person was visibly agitated, and tears streamed down her face, but she nodded again and again and again. "I know it. And when he does, you'll be so sorry you ever thought bringing a bomb here was a good idea." 

"Okay," Godspeed shrugged, "then where is he? It only takes a second for him to come. So where. Is. He?" 

Sehun watched the seconds tick by. 

2:30:999 

2:30:399 

2:30:025

Sehun sighed and pulled himself up, brushing himself off as he ignored Joohyun’s _no._  

"Oh?" Godspeed said, turning to Sehun. "What are you going to do? Write? Or die?" 

"Leave these people alone," Sehun said, clenching his fists. He had counted nearly fifty of his co-workers gathered here, and with the time left, it was easier to run the bomb out than save them all individually. 

"There's no one here to save you," Godspeed said, "unless...you personally know the Flash." 

"Just leave these people alone," Sehun said, feeling everyone’s eyes on him, "The Flash will come." 

“Is coming? Is he really coming?” Godspeed said, stretching his hands out, "Where is he?" 

2:10:999 

2:10:502 

2:10:395 

Sehun bit his lip and exhaled slowly. 

"That's what I thought," Godspeed said, turning away from Sehun with a laugh, "You're all dead unless you write that article. The Flash isn't coming." 

Sehun listened to some of his co-workers cry, others pray. He finally looked at Joohyun and tilted his head. She covered her mouth with her hand when she realized his final choice. What else could he do? 

"You could've had me, a hero, but now you have no one," Godspeed rambled, swiping his hand through the air as he addressed the crowd. Sehun prepared himself, feeling the lightning crackle inside of him. "So no one is coming for you." 

Sehun was just about to sprint into action, snatch the bomb up before Godspeed could say another word, and run it as far away from here as he could before a loud voice interrupted him. 

"What's up, _bitch_ ," boomed a familiar voice. A yellow light flooded the room, so bright that many people had to turn away to avoid being blinded. But Sehun stared, eyes open, heart open, and laughed as he saw a figure hovering outside, tossing a ball of electricity back and forth before launching it at the windows. The windows shattered, causing people to shield themselves before slowly lowering their hands to squint at the light. 

"The Flash is busy right now, but I'm here," the figure shouted as he hopped inside and launched another ball of electricity at Godspeed who dodged to the right to narrowly avoid being hit. The nearby lamps shattered, their light absorbed by the figure. 

"Who are you?" someone shouted. 

" _You_ ," Godspeed snarled, pointing a finger at the light. 

"Thunder Boy," Jongdae grinned, bumping his knuckles together, sending sparks flying, "I've got this idiot, so why don't you do yourselves all a favor and run?" 

The other people didn't need any other encouragement and ran for the stairs as Jongdae leapt in the air and flew, hurtling lightning bolt after lightning bolt after Godspeed. Sehun stared for a moment in wonder as Junmyeon, grounded to the floor, could do nothing but dodge Jongdae's charged shots at him. 

He could’ve stood there, admiring Jongdae forever before Joohyun tugged at his arm. 

"Sehun, the _bomb_ ," she said.

00:50:948 

00:50:284 

00:50:184 

Sehun jerked his head and stared at the bomb. Right. There was no time to change into his costume, only enough time to run it to the ocean and hope for the best. 

"Cover for me," Sehun whispered to Joohyun who nodded. He waited until the crowd was completely gone until he stole one more look at Jongdae before snatching the bomb up and running away. 

45 seconds were more than enough time to reach the ocean, and after hurtling the bomb into the waves, Sehun stood by the sand, raising a hand to his forehead as he waited for the explosion. Twenty seconds later, it finally exploded, sending the waves shooting up to the sky. Smoke began billowing into the air, sending a flock of seagulls fleeing to land. 

Sehun made sure no one had seen him before he ran back, ducking behind a car across the street from the building. A crowd had gathered, some people passing through the street, others co-workers from his floor. No one seemed to notice him as he pushed through and blended with the crowd, all too busy staring at the top of the building. Even if they did notice him, Sehun was sure Baekhyun would delete any footage caught on security cameras. 

"What's going on?" he asked after finding Joohyun in the crowd, "Is Godspeed gone?" 

Joohyun said nothing, only pointed up. With his heart racing, Sehun lifted his gaze to the sky and saw streaks of light crackle and shoot out from the windows. What if Jongdae couldn’t land any shots on Godspeed? What if Godspeed managed to pull Jongdae out of the air before throwing him out of the window? Sehun considered going back home to grab his suit to help Jongdae, but before he could do anything, a streak of white exited the building, blurred past them, and disappeared in the distance. 

Sehun snapped his head up to look at the sky again, feeling his heart stop after the light was extinguished. Gone. That couldn't mean...that couldn't mean what he thought it meant. Right? God, was this how Jongdae felt whenever he watched Sehun throw his life on the line? 

Sehun pushed past the crowd, struggling to breathe, to stay calm, but before he could do anything, before he could even call out Jongdae’s name, the light returned, darting out of the windows. Jongdae hovered in the air for a few seconds, looking like a golden star that outshone the sun. Sehun grinned as he watched Jongdae descend, pulling the clouds down with him. 

Around him, people started clapping and cheering. 

 _Thunder Boy! Thunder Boy! Thunder Boy!_  

Sehun jumped up and down, chanting with the crowd at the top of his lungs. 

Jongdae stepped out of the air and lightly hopped onto the ground like it was nothing. He raised a hand in the air and nodded to address the crowd, and Sehun wondered if it was possible for him to go straight into cardiac arrest all over again, feeling overwhelmed by all the love in his heart. 

In the moment, Sehun had forgotten who he was, where he was, and was about to run to Jongdae and throw his arms around him. But before he had a chance, a familiar reporter and her crew pushed through the crowd. 

"Excuse me!" Sunyoung said, waving her hand to draw Jongdae’s attention. Jongdae, who had clearly forgotten the same things Sehun had forgotten, gave up trying to reach Sehun and turned to her. "Are you the man who saved this group of people from Godspeed?" 

Sehun smiled, dipped behind a car before speeding back up to the floor of his building. He ignored all the damage and scorch marks on the wall as he rummaged through the sack, found his phone, and ran back just in time to start recording. 

"I don't know about saving these people," Jongdae shrugged, "but I absolutely knocked that white motherfucker into the ground a few times. Wait. Sorry, is this live? Sorry to all the kids at home." 

"It's okay, we'll censor it," Sunyoung laughed, "how did you get your powers?" 

"That's a secret," Jongdae smiled. 

"You don't wear a mask," Sunyoung said, raising her other hand above her eyes to shield herself from Jongdae’s light, "aren't you afraid people will know who you are?" 

"I'm counting on them being blinded by all this light," Jongdae said, spreading his arms out, "Not a single person knows who Superman is even if he also doesn’t wear a mask, so I think I’m good.” 

"You're right," Sunyoung said, "Do you think Godspeed will come back? Did you injure him in any way?" 

"He'll be back," Jongdae said, placing his hands on his hips, "and when he does, I'll be there to stop him again." 

"How did you know there was a situation there?" Sunyoung said, "you arrived before anyone had a chance to call the police." 

"The Flash sent me," Jongdae said, "he was a little busy, so I came for him." 

"You know the Flash?" Sunyoung said, eyes widening, "What's he like?" 

"As beautiful as you'd expect," Jongdae nodded before backtracking, "not that...I've seen him without his mask…But he's got a big smile, and an even bigger heart." 

"As expected," Sunyoung said with a smile, "but are you here to stay? Are you going to join the Flash and protect this city from now on?" 

She waited, looking like she had looked when she’d first asked Sehun those types of questions. 

As Jongdae paused to think of how to respond, the wind lightly tousled his hair, causing Sehun to let out a sigh. That was his fucking _boyfriend_ right there. 

"Yeah," Jongdae said at last, "I don't want anyone to have to grow up or live with anything terrible haunting them. If I can help others live happily and feel safer, then of course I’ll fight by the Flash’s side. Of course I’ll stay…if Central City will let me." 

"Well, I can't speak for the rest of the city," Sunyoung said, "but if you're here to help, and if you're friends with the Flash, we'd be lucky to have another brave, fearless hero here." 

Perhaps Junmyeon was watching this interview across town and cursing at how easily Jongdae was already accepted, already praised as a hero on his very first outing as Thunder Boy. But Sehun couldn’t bother caring about how Junmyeon felt. He was too busy being proud, pleased to see this Jongdae standing at the crowd. This confident Jongdae, this happy Jongdae. If Sehun were an outsider, just an average bystander, he would've thought that there was no way, absolutely no way that Jongdae had experienced a tragic childhood or suffered any trouble, any pain at all. 

But he did. 

But Jongdae did have a terrible past, haunted by those dark sorrows, and because of that, he was who he was today. Jongdae fought with all that in his heart, and Sehun was always proud of him for choosing to focus on life instead of remembering those deaths, for trying so hard to be happy. And, more often than not, succeeding. 

"So what should we call you?" Sunyoung asked, stepping back to admire Jongdae and his light, "What's your name? Something with lightning? Something with rain?" 

Jongdae paused, looked into the crowd, met Sehun's gaze, and winked. 

"Thunder Boy."

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

The floor of Sehun’s work building was destroyed after Jongdae’s fight with Junmyeon. Jongdae swore he had only thrown a few lightning bolts here and there before attacking Junmyeon with his fists. But that's not what the bill the insurance company sent to Qian said.

Because of all the damage and the inability to find a construction company able to fix the floor in time, Sehun’s co-workers had relocated to the floor below. It was difficult to share offices and desks with the journalists already on that floor, but they had no choice. 

No one actually had the chance to leak the Flash's identity, so Qian hadn't fired anyone. But she threw a pointed look at the writer who had agreed to Godspeed’s terms every time she passed him in the halls. Sehun didn’t have anything against him. That writer did what he did because he was afraid and he didn’t want to die. He understood that. 

Luckily for that writer, Qian was more preoccupied with approving new articles about Thunder Boy after talk of Jongdae spread throughout the whole city faster than Sehun could run. Metaphorically. So today he was content with being just Sehun the journalist, Sehun the proud boyfriend of a super powered hero. 

All the headlines from the city’s newspapers offered one variation of the same subject.

 

THUNDER BOY SAVES CC TIMES EMPLOYEES FROM GODSPEED 

THUNDER BOY: CENTRAL CITY'S NEWEST HERO 

THUNDER BOY BRAVELY STOPS GODSPEED'S TERROR ATTACK

 

Sehun smiled every time he visited his company's news website and saw a picture of Jongdae on the front cover with a bolt of lightning in his fist. Perhaps Jongdae was right. No one could recognize who he was when that light surrounded him. He had even gone to work and told Sehun that everyone treated him the same, that everyone hadn’t realized he was the one who had saved those hostages at CC Times from Godspeed. 

Even those who had tried manipulating photos of him failed to identify him. If they dimmed the brightness, then they dimmed Jongdae's whole being, revealing nothing but a black smudge. Nothing more. 

Godspeed was still nowhere to be found. He was realistically planning for his big event, but for the meantime, more likely nursing serious mental and physical wounds since Jongdae had beaten him and taken his place as the newest hero. 

Things continued in their favor after the mayor delivered an address to the public one evening. Sehun, Jongdae, and Baekhyun had squished themselves onto the couch and listened to him speak. 

“Greetings Central City,” the mayor said after he took the podium. Like always, his suit was neatly ironed, his tie perfectly secured around his neck, and his hair neatly styled. He adjusted the microphone before looking directly into the camera. “Earlier this week, the speedster calling himself Godspeed held the office of Central City Times hostage.” 

Baekhyun leaned forwards to grab a bowl of popcorn off of the coffee table and passed it around.

“What do you think he’ll do when he realizes that’s his son out there running around the city?” Baekhyun said as he munched on the popcorn. 

“He could use his power to cover it up,” Sehun said, grabbing a handful of popcorn before passing the bowl to Jongdae, “That’s what Junmyeon’s been hinting at.” 

“You can’t cover something like this up,” Jongdae shook his hand as he dipped his hand into the bowl, “the media, the mayor, and everyone else already hate Godspeed. The people would riot if he tried to help him. I would, too.” 

They fell silent, eating as quietly as they could while the mayor continued to speak.

“Godspeed is a disturbed individual who was about to kill innocent citizens if they did not comply to his demands. Luckily, thanks to the help of a new hero, Thunder Boy, he was unable to—” he said. 

Baekhyun elbowed Jongdae’s side without warning, causing Jongdae to yelp. 

“That’s you, Thunder Boy,” he loudly said. 

“You’re amazing, Thunder Boy,” Sehun grinned. 

Jongdae waved them all off, but there was a smile on his face.

The mayor then finished thanking Thunder Boy before taking a deep breath, his jaw tightening as he gravely looked into the camera. 

“As mayor of Central City, this is an executive order. To the citizens: be mindful of your surroundings and stay safe. To the police: arrest this man on sight. He is a highly dangerous individual, and we must do whatever it takes to make this city safe again. Shoot on sight if needed,” he concluded. 

Sehun dropped his hand to his lap as the mayor repeated his last command. 

“What if this costs his own son his life?” he said, listening to the mayor continue to give commands to other people. 

“Then his son should have stopped to think before he terrorized this city,” Jongdae said. But he shifted in his seat. 

Sehun couldn’t imagine what Junmyeon was feeling right now if he heard his own father unknowingly ordering his death. 

“And finally,” the mayor said, his eyebrows furrowing and his voice growing louder and louder, “I refuse to let a lunatic taint the words that I want to use, the message I want to send to everyone. So good night and godspeed, Central City.” 

The mayor raised a hand in farewell before the screen cut to a group of news anchors who began to analyze the mayor’s message and project possible effects it would have. 

“What if,” Sehun began to say, “we just give him what he wants.” 

“We can’t give you up,” Jongdae shook his head, “Never.” 

“No,” Sehun said, “he doesn’t want me. All he wants is extra attention and love from his father. To feel like his father is proud of him.” 

“Can’t believe he’s taking his daddy issues out on the whole city,” Baekhyun mumbled, “How are we going to fix that?” 

“Why don’t we ask the mayor to spend more time with his son?” Sehun offered. 

“How?” Baekhyun repeated himself, “it’s not like you can just walk in and—”

Sehun snatched his suit, changed in a millisecond, and dashed off to City Hall before he could finish listening to Baekhyun. He found the mayor back in his office, and when he stopped right in front of his desk, the mayor dropped the papers he was holding in surprise. The mayor covered his mouth, staring at Sehun before he recovered and beamed. 

“Flash!” he said, leaping up and walking away from his desk to offer his hand to Sehun. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Sehun had shaken the mayor’s hand before, but he was never quite prepared for the mayor’s strong grip. 

“I came to warn you about Godspeed,” Sehun said, not knowing how else to initiate the conversation. The mayor’s expression darkened. 

“I can’t believe someone like that would do such a thing,” the mayor shook his head before he relaxed, “But thank you, Flash. For everything you do to protect us from him.” 

“Please keep your son close,” Sehun said, “I think it’d be safer if he was with you at all times, so why don’t you spend more time with him? He rarely accompanies you to official events nowadays.” 

“Son, I’m a busy man, and between you and me, he’s probably safer alone. I bet Godspeed can’t wait to put me in the ground after everything I’ve said and ordered,” the mayor said. 

Sehun sighed. 

“Wouldn’t you feel safer if he were by your side?” Sehun said, “I just don’t want to see people getting hurt. Him included.”

He meant it. Junmyeon belonged in a prison cell. Not in a coffin twenty feet under the ground. 

“You have a big heart, Flash,” the mayor smiled, placing his hand on Sehun’s shoulder, “Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.” 

Sehun returned the sentiment and nodded. 

“I will,” he said before trying one last time, “but please…try to keep your son close. These are dangerous times.” 

“Godspeed, son,” the mayor nodded. 

Sehun took off, sending a blast of wind that almost knocked the mayor back. A second later, he arrived home, changed back into his regular clothes, and squeezed himself between Jongdae and Baekhyun as if nothing had happened. 

“Fucking _fuck_ ,” Baekhyun shouted, startled by Sehun’s sudden appearance, “Please tell us before the next time you speed off somewhere.” 

“The mayor says he’s busy and thinks Junmyeon’s safer without him,” Sehun reported. Baekhyun threw him a look before grumbling to himself. 

“Now what?” Jongdae said, “Now what if we can’t force them to spend more time together?”

“We minimize damage control and we figure out how to stop him,” Sehun sighed.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

There wasn't much damage to minimize if nothing happened. For a week, the city stood still, and no one had seen Godspeed since his attack on the CC Times. But Sehun didn’t lower his guard and patrolled the city with Jongdae as the Flash and Thunder Boy. Thunder Boy and the Flash. 

The city began anticipating their patrols together, cheering as Sehun took the ground, Jongdae taking the skies. If Sehun weren’t too careful, he would become distracted and forget where he was running. But it was nice, to be able to run and look up to find his star in the sky anytime he wanted. There were moments Sehun spent worrying about Jongdae, paralyzed by the image of him falling out of the sky just like Soojung had fallen. But they were better together, stronger together, so those moments were brief, those worries were fleeting. 

After they finished their nightly patrols, Jongdae would fly back home first and wait for Sehun on the rooftop of their apartment. Sehun would find him sitting by the ledge and run straight up to sit beside him. He sometimes wondered if he’d accidentally fall over if he wasn’t careful enough, but he knew Jongdae would catch him if he fell. 

They'd talk during these times or sit in silence, holding hands, holding each other as they gazed at the night sky. The city lights looked like stars twinkling in front of him. Stars that couldn’t match Jongdae’s brightness, but stars that still dazzled and danced before their eyes. It was during these moments with his heart full and his smile wide that Sehun was dangerously close to pulling out the ring he wore around his neck and dropping on one knee right then and there. Actually, that was the constant mood, but he had to resist because there had to be a better time to propose. Not with a terrorist loose on the streets. Not with the second killer still out there. 

So the second that they put Junmyeon in handcuffs and the second that they found that second killer and brought him to justice, he'd ask. For now, Sehun had to be content with keeping the ring around his neck and the words inside his mouth. But never could he contain all the love in his heart, so when he was tired of sitting outside, he’d carry Jongdae inside and press kisses to his skin and whisper everything he felt as they went to bed. 

In the morning, Jongdae still had to leave him at early hours, so Sehun patrolled alone before he went to work, passing by familiar streets in a blink of an eye, wishing everyone a good morning if he slowed down enough for them to hear. 

At work, Sehun took the stairs up to the fifteenth floor instead of the sixteenth because their floor was still destroyed. He was the only one of his co-workers who took the stairs, and though it killed him every time, he had to stay in shape. He couldn’t be out of breath every time he ran a few seconds if he wanted to protect the city. 

But today, he was curious what the sixteenth floor looked like, if any workers had been hired to renovate it yet, so he walked up an extra flight of stairs. When he reached the sixteenth floor, he opened the door just a crack and heard a familiar voice. Sehun peeked inside and saw Junmyeon stalking around the hallway, wearing another neatly pressed suit that probably cost more than what Sehun made in a month. Sehun drew back, keeping the door open as he observed Junmyeon. The bruises and cuts that marred his face were no doubt Jongdae’s handiwork. People might think fighting a speedster was hard. Impossible even. But here Jongdae was making it look easy. 

Junmyeon stopped by the window, pulled out his phone, and called someone with one hand. With his other, he carried a newspaper. After his first call wasn’t picked up, he tried again, tried three more times before the call finally connected. 

"Hey," Junmyeon said, his voice brightening, "I know you're busy, but can you please turn to page fifteen in the CC Times? Guess who's there." 

Junmyeon turned around, the light from the broken windows casting a shadow on his face. His lips pulled down after listening to the other person speak. 

"Not enough time to read? Okay," Junmyeon said, throwing the newspaper down and stuffing a hand in his pocket, "Then have you seen the front page?" 

There was a silence as Junmyeon continued to listen, his fingers tightening on his phone and his expression contorting. 

"I don't think Godspeed's a bad person," Junmyeon raised his voice, "He's just—" 

Then he sighed, staring up at the ceiling as he waited for the other person to finish speaking, wincing every now and then. 

"Godspeed is a hero," Junmyeon shook his head, "You'll see." 

Then his expression softened, and he turned to look out the window. 

"How about dinner tonight?" he said. Then he sighed, his shoulder slumping after hearing a reply. 

"Yeah, that's fine," Junmyeon said, kicking at the broken floor, "We can eat sometime else together. No, it’s not urgent. I just wanted to see you tonight. You skipped breakfast again. I know you're busy, but you should at least eat something." 

A pause. 

"Yeah. Yeah...I know. I love you, too, Dad," Junmyeon said before disconnecting the call. Sehun took that as his cue to leave, dashing downwards and wrenching open the door to the fifteenth floor. But just as he was about to disappear, Junmyeon called out to him. 

"Sehun," Junmyeon said, causing Sehun to turn around and close the door so no one would hear whatever they’d say. Junmyeon walked down the stairs with a slight limp, using the rails for support. 

"Wow. Jongdae really beat you up that badly?" Sehun asked, "I guess you really can't heal fast. Since you don't actually have powers."

Junmyeon's face tightened and he rushed forwards to stand in front of Sehun. Perhaps Sehun would have been more intimidated if he weren’t taller than Junmyeon. 

"They're real, and I've done much more than you have with them," he glowered. 

"You tried to blow up my office," Sehun said, “with a bomb. How is that using your powers?” 

"I gave your people a choice. One was about to do what I asked before Jongdae—" Junmyeon said before Sehun interrupted. 

"Beat you the fuck up," Sehun finished. Junmyeon sharply inhaled and jabbed at Sehun’s chest. 

"I will wait until someone asks about the bomb," Junmyeon said with a low voice, "I will go to every newspaper demanding all the reporters to listen to my question. If Thunder Boy was fighting Godspeed, then who took care of the bomb? The Flash wasn't there, then what happened?" 

"That won’t do anything," Sehun shrugged, "I'm not worried. Baekhyun took care of all the bombs, and no witnesses saw me. You have nothing." 

"I will destroy you until this city is mine, Flash," Junmyeon suddenly shouted, pushing Sehun against the wall. He grabbed Sehun by the collar and raised his other fist, prepared to strike. 

"Your father loves me," Sehun said, "He likes the Flash. What will you do when you destroy him?" 

"He doesn't love you," Junmyeon continued to shout, "He loves that you're saving his city. That's all." 

Sehun recalled their conversation and thought differently. 

"If you destroy the city, he won't see his son," Sehun said, " If you destroy the city, he'll see a monster. Godspeed. Not you, Junmyeon." 

Junmyeon pulled Sehun towards him with a loud swear before slamming him harder, causing Sehun’s head to bang against the wall. 

"Listen," Sehun said, not having time to process the sudden pain in his head before Junmyeon thrust his hands over Sehun’s throat. As Junmyeon squeezed his throat, he shoved his face near Sehun’s, his expression darkening. 

"Why don't you just try being Junmyeon," Sehun carefully said, thankful Junmyeon still had the weakest fucking grip he’d ever felt, "Give up Godspeed. Focus on being a son that your father is proud of." 

"I've done that all my life," Junmyeon shouted, finally releasing Sehun and pushing him to the floor. His voice softened, and he repeated his words a little quieter. "I've done that all my life. This is the first time he's taken notice of me. Even if I'm Godspeed." 

"I doubt that," Sehun said, picking himself off of the ground and remembering the photos on Mayor Kim's desk, "He loves you. But he hates Godspeed. So I don't know why you still want to be Godspeed.” 

"He won't hate Godspeed when I save his life soon," Junmyeon said, "Even if thousands die, as long as he's alive, he'll thank Godspeed for saving him. That's how everything works. Do you hate the person who saves you? The one who pulls you from the fringes of death? No. He'll love me."

“He already loves you,” Sehun shouted again as Junmyeon disappeared, tearing down the stairs. Sehun realized what Junmyeon had hinted at and wrenched the door open before sprinting through the hall, dodging to avoid knocking into some co-workers carrying stacks of paper. 

"Joohyun," Sehun said as soon as he found her sitting next to some writer, reviewing their work. He saw the slight frown on her face and remembered how much she hated working in an open space with co-workers who didn’t know how to be quiet. 

“Yes?” Joohyun said when she looked up and studied his expression, “What’s wrong?” 

"I've got to go. I'm calling in sick," Sehun hurriedly said. 

"You're not sick," the writer beside Sehun said, "You just got here." 

Sehun placed a hand over his mouth and coughed. 

"It's contagious," he said, pretending to seem weaker than he really was as he grabbed the chair in front of him for support. 

Joohyun shot the writer a look. 

"One second, Sehun," Joohyun said, "I'm almost done telling him why his article needs a few rewrites because apparently he never remembered to do a preliminary edit." 

As Joohyun suggested different ways the writer could have improved, Sehun smiled as he watched the writer splutter, his face growing redder and redder. 

"And another thing," Joohyun said. 

"Never mind," the writer said, snatching his computer away and running off, "I'll just rewrite it."

Joohyun took a sip of her coffee before turning to Sehun. 

"Sorry. What's up? Are you really sick?" she said, standing up, placing the back of her hand on his forehead and his cheeks. 

Sehun bent down next to her and started whispering.

"Junmyeon was just here," he said before Joohyun furrowed her eyebrows and looked around, as if she expected to find him still lurking in a corner. 

"What did he do?" she said, "Did he try and hurt you?"

"He told me things," Sehun said, omitting the part where Junmyeon had roughly thrown him around to spare Joohyun the fury, "He’s going to save his father's life so his father will like Godspeed, and he said he wouldn't care if thousands died as long as his father was proud of him. This must be the big event Dr. Lee was talking about. I have to go home and figure out what he’s planning before he strikes.”

Joohyun hesitated and then shoved her laptop into her bag before swinging it over her shoulder.

"Let's go," Joohyun said, grabbing his arm and leading him to the exit, "We can't waste a single second." 

Sehun accepted that answer, and they strode through the halls, heading for the elevator. No one stopped them because they were too busy staring at the headlines on the newspaper, the words on their screen. Maybe some people did stare, but they didn't suspect anything, never stopped them. 

"Do you mind if I speed you to Jongdae's and Baekhyun's lab?" Sehun said after they had stepped outside the building.

"Not at all," Joohyun said, "I've actually always been curious what it must be like...going that fast."

"Hold on," Sehun said, "Baekhyun always stumbles around and loses his balance. One time he almost threw up after I set him down."

"Well that's Baekhyun," Joohyun said, "I'm me."

Fair enough. Sehun secured her tightly before whisking her off to the back alley behind the lab. 

"How was it?" Sehun said as soon as he they stopped. He grabbed Joohyun as she held him for support. She looked around, dazed, but kept her ground. 

"Wow," she said, staring around her as if she couldn't believe how fast her surroundings had changed. "If I'm ever late to work, I'll have to ask you to take me."

Not that she was ever late to work.

Minutes later, they burst into Jongdae's and Baekhyun's lab, Sehun talking like he had just awoken from his coma. Everyone had to remind him to slow down, and after several attempts, Sehun gave up and closed his mouth in frustration. Joohyun intervened and translated what Sehun had meant to say. After Jongdae and Baekhyun listened, they dropped their work, took off their lab coats, and led everyone to the table in the back of their lab.

The department had filed a missing person’s report for Dr. Lee, so without his authority, Jongdae and Baekhyun didn’t care if they worked or not. For the first time, they could relax and do whatever they wanted without having to worry about being yelled at. 

The four of them gathered, ready to make a plan. 

"He said thousands of people," Sehun said, tapping the table with a finger for emphasis, "What upcoming events around the city will have that many people attending?”

Baekhyun typed rapidly on his computer, searching for answers.

"The music festival by the pier,” Baekhyun said, "The fair downtown...the university graduation..."

"He has enough time to strike all of them at once," Jongdae grimly said, "If we find Dr. Lee, then we can cut his supply of the drugs and stop him from accessing his speed.”

"We need to narrow down our options," Joohyun said, "Which events are the mayor supposed to attend?"

Everyone fell silent, looking to Baekhyun for an answer. 

"All right so I took a peek in his secretary's schedule for him," Baekhyun said after a few seconds of typing, "and he's giving a speech at the university’s commencement ceremony next week, but there's also an event in three days that’s being held in his honor." 

"That's it," Sehun said, snapping his fingers, "Everything is about his father, right? So of course he'd strike at an event honoring him."

"Okay," Jongdae nodded, "then what's our plan?"

"Would he bomb the place again?" Joohyun asked, "He seems to favor using explosives." 

"It's possible," Baekhyun said, lowering the top of his laptop, "We can get there early to scope out the place."

"This is a big event," Sehun said, "and if he's shadowing his father, then all eyes will be on him, too. He won’t be able to directly do anything."

"He could have some help," Joohyun said. 

"He's been working alone so far," Jongdae said, “as far as we know…but he has the money to hire people and the power to cover everything up if it goes bad.” 

"Does he really?" Baekhyun asked, "He's only the mayor's son. He's not a politician, and the only one with enough power to do that is his father…who has no idea so far."

"It doesn’t matter,” Joohyun said, “I’ll leak the truth to the press if he tries to cover it up.” 

“How many people should we assume he’s hired?" Sehun asked, "ten? A hundred?"

"I don’t know," Jongdae admitted, "I don't know, but if we're all going together, then we'll be fine." 

"Bigger question. How are we all sneaking in?" Sehun asked, “We’re not exactly rich, power-hungry politicians.”

"We'll go as Flash and Thunder Boy," Jongdae said, pointing to himself and Sehun, "Since the mayor loves you, he'd be happy to have you there, and we'll just pose as extra security." 

"I can go as myself," Joohyun said, "and say I'm writing an article about the event." 

“I’ll sneak in as tech support or something,” Baekhyun said before he changed his mind, “Or I’ll add my name to the guest list. That’s easy.” 

A few seconds later, Baekhyun slid his name onto the guest list.

“So that’s the plan,” Jongdae said, “turn up and stop him.”

“Turn up, get turnt, and turn him into the police,” Baekhyun corrected, raising a finger for each step.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“You again?” the bouncer said once he saw Sehun next in the line. 

“What’s up?” Sehun said, nodding once at the bouncer.

“Why are you even here?” the bouncer sighed.

“A man can’t get a drink?” Sehun asked, keeping his voice loud enough to keep the bouncer’s attention, but soft enough he wouldn’t be perceived as threatening. 

“The ice cream shop is across the street, kid,” the bouncer said, “you can get your strawberry milkshake there.” 

“I’m here to see Jessica,” Sehun said, wondering if he should slip past the bouncer when he looked the other way.

“Jessica?” the bouncer said, tilting his head, “You’re friends with Jessica?”

“Yeah,” Sehun said. Jessica might think differently, but she wasn’t exactly here to object.

“She actually lets you hang around her without threatening physical harm?” the bouncer continued to ask. 

“…Yeah,” Sehun lied, suddenly remembering all the injuries she had given him. 

“Shit, man,” the bouncer said, opening the door for Sehun, “You have my respect. Enjoy your night.”

Sehun thanked him and entered the bar, pushing his hood back as he slid past a group of men wearing motorcycle jackets. He bobbed his head to the music, blending in and dancing his way across the room until he slid into a stool at the bar and knocked on the wood. 

“Hi,” he called out.

Jessica was organizing some alcohol on the shelf, her back turned to Sehun again, but she sighed and faced him with a frown.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Good to see you, too,” Sehun asked, “Can I order a drink?” 

“Let me guess,” Jessica said, pulling out a glass, “Water with three ice cubes and a red paper umbrella.”

“No, I’m feeling kind of risqué tonight,” Sehun said. Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Can I have a shot of—”

“Tequila? Vodka?” Jessica said, “You don’t look like you can handle vodka.” 

“First of all,” Sehun said, leaning across the counter, “when I could actually get drunk, I handled vodka fine thank you. Second of all…Hit me with two shots of one percent milk. Organic. Red umbrella _and_ yellow umbrella.” 

“Oh my fucking _god_ ,” Jessica muttered, throwing him a look before she turned around, hiding the shot glasses from Sehun’s view. 

Thirty seconds later, she placed two shots in front of Sehun before stabbing the glass with the umbrellas he requested. 

“Thank you,” Sehun said. He didn’t know how expensive shots of milk were at a bar, but he slipped Jessica a twenty anyways. 

“So tell me why the fuck are you here again?” Jessica said as he raised the shot glass in the air.

“Do you really have a problem with people coming to say hello?” Sehun asked before he downed the shot and sighed. “That’s not milk.” 

“You really think a bar has organic milk laying around? It’s a peppermint shot,” Jessica said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Well, it’s good,” Sehun admitted before he drank the second one. He pushed the empty glasses over to Jessica but kept the umbrellas. Jessica collected them and wiped the counter in silence. 

“How are you?” Sehun asked.

“Same,” Jessica shrugged, “I murdered a man last week, and next week I’m robbing a bank.” 

Sehun’s eyes widened and he shot forwards, leaning halfway across the counter. 

“You _what_?” Sehun shouted. 

Jessica laughed, slapping her hand on the counter, shaking her head at Sehun’s expression.

“I’m joking,” Jessica said. Sehun relaxed before she opened her mouth and continued. “It was actually _two_ men, but who’s counting? They deserved it for threatening me anyways.”

Sehun lowered his head on the counter, ignoring how dirty it must’ve been as he stared into nowhere. Jessica was unbothered and served someone beer two seats away. Sehun listened to the loud music, feeling the bass echo in his heart before he mumbled out a response. 

“To think I actually came here for your help,” Sehun said.

“What?” Jessica asked.

When he said nothing more, she flicked his forehead, causing him to sit up and rub his forehead.

“What did you say?” Jessica asked.

“Nothing,” Sehun glared, hiding his forehead from her.

“Don’t make me blast your head off, kid,” Jessica pointed a finger at him, “What did you say?” 

Sehun continued to glare as long as he could before he propped an elbow onto the counter and rested a cheek in his hand. 

“I was going to come here to ask you for help,” he sighed. 

“What for?” Jessica asked. 

“We’re taking down Godspeed in a couple of days, and I thought you might want to join,” Sehun asked. 

“No, no,” Jessica said, “It sounded like you were desperate and needed my help.” 

“I just,” Sehun shrugged, “You’re a formidable person in the industry, and I respect that. We’d be able to take Godspeed down in half the time if you were working with us.” 

Jessica crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. 

“That’s just the problem,” Jessica said, “Why would I help you?” 

As Sehun looked back at her, he realized he had been expecting to see a glimpse of Soojung somewhere in front of him. Sure, they had the same hair, similar features. But he should have known better. 

“You’re right,” Sehun said, standing up and throwing a tip onto the counter, “Sorry I bothered you, and sorry I asked.”

He turned around after he thought he heard Jessica say something. 

“Don’t die,” Jessica said, her back facing Sehun again. 

If Sehun squinted, he could pretend Soojung was right in front of him, back at Jitter’s about to ask him if he wanted the same thing again. 

So he didn’t.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Three days later, they turned up at City Hall and walked up the white, spotless steps together. They had meant to attract as little attention to themselves as possible, but how could they not turn heads when they were dressed to kill? Joohyun wore a sleek black dress, part of her leg peeking out after the wind ruffled through her skirts. Seulgi stood beside her wearing her hair pulled up and her jumpsuit tight. Baekhyun smugly basked in the attention as he adjusted his suit’s thunderbolt cufflinks he had borrowed from Jongdae. Sehun came as the Flash, and Jongdae came as Thunder Boy, illuminating the whole area with his light. 

“Name?” the security guard asked Joohyun when it was her turn in line. 

“Bae Joohyun,” she said before tilting her head towards Seulgi, “This is my date.” 

“IDs?” the guard asked

Joohyun and Seulgi showed the guard their IDs before he allowed them inside. 

“Byun Baekhyun,” Baekhyun said before the guard could even ask. The guard frowned and stared at his list for a few seconds. 

“ID?” he asked. 

After Baekhyun handed him his ID, the guard bent it, stared at it a little longer before giving it back to Baekhyun. Baekhyun gave him a look before shoving his hands into his pockets and walking inside City Hall. 

The bouncer’s expression immediately changed when he saw Sehun and Jongdae next, and he threw his hands over his mouth and gasped. 

“Flash! Thunder Boy!” he said in a hushed voice, “This is such an honor.” 

He held out his hand, and Sehun and Jongdae took turns shaking it. The bouncer jerked his hand back with a laugh, waving it after Jongdae had shocked him. 

“Sorry,” Jongdae smiled, “Can’t help it.” 

“Enjoy your night,” the bouncer said once he held out a hand to guide them inside. 

The main lobby was empty. The sound of heels clicking against the marble floor echoed in the expansive space. Only a chandelier above and Jongdae’s light below illuminated the dim area. Shadows from the guests around them bounced along the walls as everyone walked towards the main ballroom. 

The main ballroom, however, was brightly lit. There were banners hanging from the balconies, and each table had a centerpiece composed of yellow daffodils, beautiful tulips, and blooming irises that twisted together, reaching for the sky. This was truly a party for the mayor, as Sehun noticed the silk table runners and the finest silverware. 

An attendant escorted Joohyun, Seulgi, and Baekhyun to a table, and Sehun and Jongdae hung back around the perimeters, scanning the room for any early sign of trouble. 

“Where do you think he is now?” Sehun asked, “I don’t see him.” 

To be fair, the ceremony hadn’t started yet, and not even the mayor had appeared. Only city officials, politicians, and staff members were taking their seats around the room. Which only made Sehun more suspicious. Junmyeon could be preparing to attack at this very second. 

“If we split up, we can cover more ground,” Jongdae spoke into the comms, “Joohyun, Seulgi, Baekhyun, you take the ground and monitor the tables. Se…Flash, you take the right side of the balcony area.” 

“Okay, then you’ll take the—” Sehun said before an organizer spotted them and rushed forwards.

“Flash! Thunder Boy!” she said, grabbing their arms before jolting back after Jongdae accidentally electrocuted her. Or, as Sehun watched the small smile on Jongdae’s lips, not so accidentally. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be seated at the front table with the mayor as his guests of honor!” 

Before Jongdae or Sehun could say anything, the woman pushed them towards the front of the room. As they passed by the tables, politicians and officials gasped, jumping to their feet, knocking their luxurious, velvet chairs back as they offered their applause. 

The mayor’s table was close to the elevated podium where the mayor was supposed to give a speech soon. Three people were already seated there, and they rose to shake Sehun’s and Jongdae’s hands before sitting down.

“Have you seen Junmyeon?” Sehun asked the politicians at their table. All of them shook their heads. 

“He’s probably with his father,” one of them offered an answer.

“Where’s the mayor?” Jongdae asked. 

“Probably backstage, getting ready to make the opening speech,” another said.

“He has security with him, right?” Sehun asked.

“Yes. Why?” the politician said. Sehun didn’t miss the look that had appeared on his face. 

“Just in case Godspeed tries to target him,” Sehun said, regretting his words after the politicians looked at each other with concerned gazes. One of them inched closer, leaning across the table to speak. 

“He wouldn’t show up…would he?” he asked. 

“He might,” Sehun said, “So that’s why we’re here. Don’t be afraid.” 

The politicians looked satisfied with that answer and relaxed. Soon, they began asking Jongdae and Sehun question after question. Could Sehun run on water? Could Jongdae really fly? Could Sehun run faster than a plane? Could Jongdae control the weather? 

But they were spared from answering how they each got their powers after someone took the stage. 

“Please welcome today’s guest of honor,” the woman from earlier said, “Mayor Kim!” 

Everyone stood and clapped as Mayor Kim appeared with a big, gleaming smile, waving at the crowd. He shook the hands of the woman and took the stage, adjusting the mic to match his height. 

"Good evening!" the mayor said, pausing to listen to the choruses of people who echoed the greeting back to him.

"I don't think there was really any need for this ceremony," the mayor let out a chuckle, "I just...do what I do. No need to thank me. But because my son Junmyeon insisted on throwing this celebration, I let him because it made him happy, and you know how all a parent wants is for their child to be happy, right?" 

He paused as some older people nodded. It was a shame Junmyeon wasn't here to listen. 

"So really," the mayor said, "let's not think about honoring me tonight, even though my name is on these banners that Junmyeon also ordered...Wow. He really did all of this himself." 

He took a moment to admire the banners and smiled. The woman cleared her throat, causing the mayor to shake his head, remembering where he was. 

"Let's have a toast. To my son," he said. An organizer rushed over to hand him a glass of champagne, and waiters quickly poured everyone a drink before they all raised their glasses in the air.

"To Junmyeon!" the mayor shouted into the mic with a smile. 

"To Junmyeon!" the rest of the crowd cheered.

Sehun imagined Joohyun's face across the room and disguised his laugh as a cough. 

"Please enjoy the rest of your night!" the mayor said before exiting the stage to more applause. He shook hands with the politicians he passed good-naturedly, and when he reached his table, he all but sprinted over.

"Flash!" he said, a bright grin spreading across his face, "I'm so honored you could make it!" 

"You two, Thunder Boy," he said after noticing Jongdae, "You two are the guests of honor. Please...Have a seat." 

"Oh, we were hoping to help security," Sehun said, gesturing behind him.

"We can secure the perimeter and make sure no one threatens the celebration," Jongdae said. 

The mayor waved his hand.

"It's fine," he said, "I hired the best security teams for a reason. You two have done so much for the city, so for once, let these people do their jobs and relax!" 

The mayor would not take a no for an answer, and before Sehun knew it, he and Jongdae were seated next to him. Mayor Kim signaled to the waiters around the room, cuing them to serve dinner. Sehun, who was used to eating pizza and takeout food, was not quite prepared to see roast beef, mashed potatoes, and asparagus piled onto his plate. 

"Where's your son?" Sehun asked as he looked around, unable to find Junmyeon again.

Mayor Kim let out a sigh as he sliced into his roast beef. 

"I told him to enjoy the night, but he's still probably going over last minute preparations and overseeing the kitchen staff. He works too hard for this," he said. 

"He did it for you," Sehun said. 

"He does so much for me, and I feel like I could do more, you know?" Mayor Kim said, pausing to take a bite of his food, "I'll have to find the time to go on a vacation with him. He’s always wanted to travel to Metropolis with me. Maybe I'll take him there."

"That sounds like a good idea," Sehun smiled, “You should definitely do that. Soon." 

Jongdae wasn't enjoying any of this civil talk and purposely dropped his napkin on the floor. As he bent down to retrieve it, Sehun heard him whisper into the comms.

“Baekhyun, we need eyes around the building. Can you find Junmyeon on the cams?” he asked before sat up straight again. 

“On it,” Baekhyun said. Across the room, Baekhyun politely excused himself from his table and hurried outside. 

The politicians around them began to praise the mayor and discuss some financial budget, which was Sehun’s cue to focus on his food and continue looking around the room for any sign of Junmyeon. 

“Do you want some of my food?” Jongdae asked, pushing his plate towards Sehun. 

“You’ll need all the energy,” Jongdae said. Even though Sehun shook his head, Jongdae pushed half of his plate onto Sehun’s. “Here.”

“Are you sure?” Sehun asked. 

“Oh, please, boys!” the mayor said after noticing what Jongdae had done, “There’s plenty of food left for thirds and fifths!” 

He clapped his hands, and servers rushed forwards to refill Jongdae’s plate and pile more food onto Sehun’s plate. 

“Thank you,” Sehun said after a pause. Jongdae inclined his head, and Sehun slowly took a bite of his food. He shouldn’t be eating. He should be finding Junmyeon. After giving up and taking a large bite, he dropped his napkin on the floor.

“Baekhyun,” he whispered, “Do you have anything?”

“What?” Baekhyun answered, “Are you…eating?”

“Just answer,” Sehun whispered before he returned to his plate and took another bite, ignoring the strange look a politician gave him. 

“I’ve accessed every camera in the building,” Baekhyun said, “and I’ve found Junmyeon.”

Baekhyun’s voice was calm, so Sehun saw no reason to panic. Jongdae dropped his napkin again to confirm the situation. 

“What’s he doing? Do we need to act?” he whispered before straightening up.

“Do you need new napkins?” the mayor said to them, “you keep dropping them…Maybe I should have them replace the whole set. The blend of silk and cotton isn’t working, is it? They’re too slippery to be used for dinner napkins. I apologize for that.” 

“Oh, no, it’s fine!” Jongdae said, waving his hands.

Baekhyun laughed in his comms before continuing to answer. 

“He’s in an empty office strolling around,” Baekhyun asked, “Not doing anything dangerous. I’ve hacked the audio feed, and he’s rehearsing some speech.” 

Sehun couldn’t say anything more, so he hoped Baekhyun would continue to update them without the constant reminders.

“He stopped. Now he’s staring out the window,” Baekhyun said. Sehun dared to take another bite of his food and chewed slowly so he could hear everything, “Wait…he walked out of the room.”

“Oh…” Baekhyun said, “He must’ve used his speed. I don’t see him anywhere.”

Sehun and Jongdae looked at each other and put their napkins on their tables, prepared to leave. 

“Wait I’ve found him…he’s—” Baekhyun started to say before a voice boomed on the speakers. 

“How’s everyone doing tonight?” Junmyeon yelled. Jongdae and Sehun immediately stood up out of reflex.

“Oh, you’re right. Let’s stand up for my son,” the mayor cheerfully stood up. The rest of the room copied the mayor.

Sehun caught the little sparks shooting from Jongdae’s fist, touched his arm, and inclined his head. Jongdae took a deep breath and tried to relax. 

“I said…how’s everyone doing tonight?” Junmyeon yelled once more as he entered the stage, holding the mic with one hand, waving with his other hand. The crowd instantly burst into applause, answering him with a chorus of _good!_  

“Please,” Junmyeon said, raising a hand, “Take a seat. There’s no need to stand for me. Tonight is the night we honor my father after all.”

Everyone in the room sat, waiting for Junmyeon to continue speaking. All eyes were on him as he placed the mic on the podium stand.

“Every room’s still empty,” Baekhyun reported, “No threats spotted. Everything seems fine.”

But that could change in a second, so Sehun kept watching Junmyeon who was clearing his throat and tapping the mic to check if it was working. A sharp, metallic sound screeched, causing him to cover the mic with his hand.

"Good evening," he spoke clearly into the mic, "Thank you all for being here."

It seemed he really was his father's son, and after all the pacing, all the rehearsing, he looked completely at ease. There wasn't a single waver in his voice, and Junmyeon seemed so relaxed as he looked out into the crowd and addressed everyone. 

"It is my utmost pleasure to give the keynote speech at tonight's celebration in honor of the mayor, my father," he said with a smile, searching for his father in the crowd. He froze for a moment when he saw Jongdae and Sehun sitting around him before quickly recovering. 

"For all my life at Central City," he said, "I don't think there has ever been a mayor more selfless, more caring, and more influential than my father."

"He hasn't been alive for very long…what's he trying to say?" Baekhyun muttered in his comms. 

"He has done so much for the city such as helping to improve programs for the youth at risk, promote better relations between the police and the community, and start several charities," Junmyeon continued, "so it's only right we dedicate one night to him and acknowledge him for all his service." 

The people nodded and began clapping. Sehun heard a long sigh from the comms and knew it was Joohyun.

"Don't worry," Junmyeon said with a smile, "this isn't a fundraising event, so your checkbooks are safe." 

The crowd laughed good-naturedly. Too bad Junmyeon had spent all his time devoted to Godspeed rather than who he actually wanted to be. A politician. Future Mayor. His father’s successor. 

"My mother died when I was young, so it’s only been me and my father for most of my life," Junmyeon said, causing the crowd to fall completely silent, "He raised me himself, gave me enough love to last five lifetimes, and I...I just want to do him proud." 

"Can’t wait for the mayor to figure out what his son’s been doing," Joohyun muttered into her comms.

The mayor chose that exact moment to leap on the stage and pull his son into a hug. Junmyeon grinned, clapping his father’s back as they embraced. Sehun imagined an alternate universe where Junmyeon was not Godspeed but simply who he was behind the suit, behind everything he had done. His father's son.

"My son, everyone!" the mayor loudly announced into the mic. 

"My father, everyone!" Junmyeon said, stealing the mic back. 

"Please continue enjoying the rest of your dinner," the mayor grinned, "There will be music shortly. I hope to see all of you on the dance floor."

With that, the crowd clapped again and turned back to their food. The mayor and Junmyeon swung their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and smiling as they walked towards the table. 

"Here's my son, Flash," the mayor said, "I believe you two have met before...when you saved our lives from Captain Cold." 

"Yes," Sehun said, pulling a smile on his face and stretching out his hand, "It's nice to see you again, Junmyeon."

"Likewise, Flash," Junmyeon smiled as he shook his hand before turning to Jongdae. "I don't think I've met you before...Forgive me, but who are you again?" 

"Thunder Boy," Jongdae said. He kept his hand to his side, so Junmyeon initiated the handshake by offering his hand. Jongdae took it with a smile, and in seconds, Junmyeon jerked his hand back. 

"Well!" he said, shaking his hand, "You've got a strong...electric grip!" 

"Sorry," Jongdae said, not looking very sorry at all, "It's hard to control the electricity sometimes." 

"Sit, sit," the mayor said, pulling out Junmyeon’s chair for him, "your food will grow cold, and it's almost dinner!"

As dinner continued, Junmyeon continued staring at Sehun, ignoring the waiters who continually served him food.

"So tell me, Flash," one politician said as he cut his slice of roast beef, "how come you aren't any closer to stopping Godspeed?"

"Haven't seen him in a while," Sehun shrugged, "maybe he's still recovering from that time Thunder Boy beat him." 

Everyone at the table including the mayor laughed, Junmyeon included. But there was a slight wrinkle that distorted Junmyeon’s expression for a moment before he relaxed. 

"Or, could it be because he's better than you? Faster than you?" Junmyeon offered, pointing his knife at Sehun. 

"Junmyeon," the mayor said, "please...we all know the Flash is the fastest man alive. This is his city after all, and please don't speak of the _other one_ at this table. No need to bring more attention to an individual clearly desperate for attention." 

"Yeah," Jongdae couldn't help but add as the corners of his lips curled up, "It's only matter of time before we catch him." 

"Oh, you two are too good for this city," the mayor clapped once, "Thank you for your service. I'm proud of you. Godspeed, sons." 

Sehun noticed how hard Junmyeon was clenching his knife and how forcefully he cut into his dinner. It was a bad time to anger Junmyeon, but what could he do when his father was here? He wouldn’t expose himself now, would he? 

The rest of the politicians at the table captured the mayor's attention, asking him more questions about political matters and organizing lunch dates and golf dates. After a while, dessert was served, a delicate crème brûlée. 

The top layer of sugar was perfectly burnt, and Sehun lightly tapped it with a spoon, listening for the soft tapping noise before he broke into the hardened sugar. Sehun scooped out a spoon of the custard and the sugar before placing it in his mouth. Even though he was in a high-pressure situation that could potentially cause casualties, Sehun savored the dessert and admittedly was having a pretty good night. The food was good and Jongdae was beside him after all. He turned to admire Jongdae, gazing at him wordlessly as the musicians began to play soft string music. He’d have to whisk Jongdae off to Paris one day after everything was resolved. 

After everyone finished their dessert, the mayor signaled to the musicians they hired to start playing louder. The musicians began to play a sweet tune, a lively waltz. Some of the guests led their dates onto the dance floor and began twirling around. 

"Oh, what a lovely evening," the mayor said as he watched them, "What a perfectly lovely evening." 

Junmyeon stood and walked across the room to invite someone to dance. 

"Follow him," Baekhyun said, "Now would be a good time to strike if I were Junmyeon. Everyone's distracted and mingling, so it'd be easy to slip past people without drawing too much attention from anyone else.” 

Sehun and Jongdae placed their napkins on their plates and stood. 

"Mr. Mayor," Sehun said, "Thank you for the lovely meal. I think it'd be best if we both checked in with your security now. Just to make sure there isn't anything wrong."

"Stay a little longer!" the mayor tried to persuade him, "at least dance one song before you go! I'd hate for you to spend your night patrolling empty corridors when you could be here." 

Sehun hesitated. Dancing with Jongdae? Of course he’d love to. But at a time like this? The mayor took advantage of Sehun's hesitation and signaled something to the orchestra who began to play a different song. The previous waltz transformed into an upbeat jazz song. After the first few measures were over, the rest of the room immediately leapt up to their feat and ran for the dance floor. The melody was contagious, infectious, and Sehun could see Jongdae swaying in place and tapping his feet to the rhythm of the music. 

"Okay…One song," Sehun conceded, "One song and we'll go." 

"Go!" the mayor shouted, "have fun, boys!" 

Neither of them needed any other invitation, and Jongdae grabbed Sehun's hand before leading him onto the dance floor. He held Sehun's hand with one hand and Sehun's waist with the other as they danced, smiling at each other as the music steadily continued to grow louder. The beat of the drums spurred Sehun’s heart, and he wished they didn’t have bigger things to worry about now.

Jongdae twirled Sehun around before catching him and holding him close in his arms. Sehun breathed, and they both took the time to stand still while everyone else continued to dance and spin around them. Stand still and look at each other. Stand still and notice how flushed their cheeks had become. Stand still and lean in for a— 

"Hey," Baekhyun's voice interrupted, "Nice of you to turn up without me, but let's focus, shall we? Now would be a good time to check the area." 

"Right," Sehun, clearing his throat. 

"I'll take the upper levels, and you'll take the lower levels?" Jongdae said, unable to erase the smile from his face. 

"Sure," Sehun said, "Joohyun and Seulgi, keep your eyes on him now."

"Right," Joohyun said, "What an absolutely lovely plan...give the job of staring at him to me. Yes. I see." 

Jongdae pressed a quick kiss to Sehun's cheek before flying up towards the balconies. Sehun watched him for a second longer before zipping through the other rooms on the ground level before checking every room on the lower floors. The basement was empty, save for a few boxes of files and papers. As a precaution, he looked through every single box, finding nothing suspicious at all. Not even a paper cutter. 

"There's nothing here," Sehun said. 

"Nothing here either," Jongdae said.

"He's still here," Joohyun said, "Unfortunately. He's dancing with some politician's wife. I feel so sorry for her." 

“Okay new plan,” Jongdae said, “If we stick with Junmyeon, then he can’t do anything without us knowing about it.” 

A second later for Sehun and a minute later for Jongdae, they returned to find Junmyeon with his father again. 

“Are you enjoying yourselves, boys?” the mayor asked when they approached. Sehun ignored the way Junmyeon was staring at him and smiled. 

“Yes,” he nodded, “it’s a beautiful celebration.” 

“Junmyeon put it all together for me,” the mayor said, reaching across to squeeze Junmyeon’s shoulder. 

Sehun was just about to say something before Baekhyun pushed through the crowd. 

"Mr. Flash...Mr. Boy," Baekhyun said to Sehun and Jongdae who smothered a laugh, "We have an emergency. Please follow me." 

"What is it?" Sehun said, taking a step forwards before almost getting knocked over by a security guard. 

"Mayor Kim," the guard said, "We have a problem." 

"What's going on now?" the mayor said, dragging his gaze back and forth from Baekhyun to the head of security. 

"Godspeed's been spotted at the music festival across town at the pier," the guard said. Based on the way Baekhyun slightly bounced on his toes, he had wanted to report something similar. "It's a high profile event with thousands of people there."

"Oh god," the mayor said, covering his mouth with a hand, "What's he doing there?" 

"Right now, just running around the pier," the guard said, pulling out his phone to show the mayor some footage of the music festival. Sure enough, there was a white blur circling around the pier. 

Sehun snapped his gaze up to look at Junmyeon who was still…there. Junmyeon had acted civil this entire night and had pretended not to know Sehun and Jongdae. But he could not resist the smug smile from spreading across his face in this moment. 

The mayor turned to Sehun with a deep sigh.

"Flash," he said, "I am so sorry this has happened on a night I wanted you to rest. But would it be possible for you to—” 

"I'll go," Jongdae announced before the mayor could send Sehun off. Junmyeon would have to work harder if he wanted to separate the Flash from the mayor. "I'll go now and stop him quickly before everyone gets hurt.” 

Sehun hesitated before giving Jongdae a single nod. 

"I'll stay here with you in case he tries to come here next," Sehun said after turning to the mayor, "Okay?" 

The mayor nodded. 

"Thank you, Flash. I do feel safer when you're around," the mayor said before turning to Jongdae, "Godspeed, Thunder Boy." 

"Thank you," Jongdae said. He touched Sehun's arm once before leaping into the air, sending a light shower of electricity raining from the ceiling. The crowd gasped as they watched Jongdae fly towards the doors. Baekhyun ran after him, his conversation with Jongdae sounding through the comms long after they had disappeared from sight. 

"I'm going with you," Baekhyun shouted.

"Stay here," Jongdae said, "We don't know if that Godspeed is dangerous." 

"The real Godspeed's here. How is this any safer?" Baekhyun said. 

Jongdae was silent. 

"Sehun has Joohyun and Seulgi. And a whole team of security. They'll be fine. So what about you? It's always been you and me, so I'll be your backup," Baekhyun said. 

"Take a taxi if you want to meet me there," Jongdae finally said, "I'll go first." 

They fell silent, so Sehun turned his attention back to the mayor. He continued staying by the mayor’s side, walking everywhere he walked, stopping everywhere he stopped. He tried to look for anything threatening, but everything was too…calm. If the Godspeed at the pier was a distraction, then what was Junmyeon really planning? Sehun excused himself for a moment to check every room all over again, looking in every single corner of the building for anything out of place, anything wrong at all. But there was nothing.

Sehun looked for the mayor a second later, finding him talking with one of his colleagues. As he hovered around the mayor, Sehun continued watching the room, finding everything suspiciously quiet. People were mingling, some sipping on champagne, and others reclining in their chairs.

Junmyeon was nowhere to be found.

That was not a good sign. Sehun watched for three seconds more before Junmyeon returned to his father’s side. Sehun ignored the look Junmyeon threw at him for a second longer before searching the building for another time. But he found nothing on the dance floor. Nothing in any of the offices. Nothing in the columns. Nothing in the ceiling. 

“Hey,” Sehun said on the comms, “Joohyun, Seulgi. Stay safe. Junmyeon just came back from somewhere, and I think he’ll strike soon.” 

“If you need backup, let me know,” Seulgi said, “These guards won’t be a problem if they’re working for him.” 

“Please,” Joohyun said, “you could take them out with one hand behind your back. And even then, that’d be too easy for you.” 

Sehun knew she was talking about Seulgi because his fighting technique was still lacking. 

“Monitor the main floor,” Sehun said, “I’m going to do another sweep of the building. If Junmyeon leaves, tell me.” 

Sehun ran through on the marble floors, skirting past the statue in the lobby, looking through every room, every compartment for any sign of danger. But there was nothing yet. 

Sehun wove in and out of the halls and offices again and again and again before entering the mayor’s office. Pictures of the mayor and Junmyeon hung from the walls and rested on the desk. Shadows danced around the room as Sehun continued pacing around. Sehun lingered a moment longer before he heard Joohyun speak. 

“Sehun, he disappeared for just a second,” Joohyun said. 

Sehun knew what Junmyeon could do in a second, so he searched every single inch of the building again. He found nothing in the upper levels, so he headed for the lower levels. When he reached the basement, he had to pause for five whole seconds after what he saw. 

“He’s gone again, Sehun,” Seulgi said, “There’s no sign of him.” 

“Stay close,” Sehun finally said, “and prepare to run.” 

“Why?” Joohyun said, “What’s wrong?” 

Sehun stared at all the wires weaving through each other, the red numbers flashing at him, the black boxes placed around the columns that were scattered all around the room. 

“Bombs,” Sehun said. 

At least thirty of them. 

“How much time is left?” Seulgi said after a slight pause. 

“Ten minutes,” Sehun said. 

He stared at the numbers and corrected himself. 

“Nine minutes and fifty nine seconds,” he said. 

58. 

57. 

56.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Jongdae might not have been able to move as nearly as fast as Sehun, but he could still fly at a swift speed, and within minutes, he arrived at the pier with dark clouds gathering across the horizon and lightning flashing from the sky to sound his arrival. He stared below him as the wind blew through his hair, observing all the people screaming, fleeing from the pier. From here, they looked like nothing more than colorful dots crawling up the sand as the dark waters chased them from the ocean and crashed onto the land. 

Jongdae drew his attention to the pier, distracted for a moment by the colorful Ferris wheel and the colorful lights that decorated its exterior. He and Sehun had come here many times before but had never rode on the Ferris wheel before. Sehun was always afraid that the wheel would malfunction while they were on the top and dreaded waiting hundreds of meters up in the air as the underpaid staff struggled to fix it. That seemed like a valid concern, but what did they have to fear now that they had powers? What did Sehun ever have to fear if Jongdae was with him? What did they ever had to fear if they had each other? 

But Jongdae was alone tonight, and alone he flew towards the pier after he spotted a white blur circle around and around the area. Jongdae hovered above the area to observe what was happening below. 

This certainly looked like Godspeed, but they didn’t move exactly like Junmyeon moved. The light was staggered, as if the person inside was trying to run with a broken leg. If Junmyeon was still at City Hall, then who was this? Had he hired someone and given them some speed drugs so they could pretend to be Godspeed? 

This Godspeed wasn’t really doing anything to harm anyone, only continuing to run around and around. Jongdae intervened before that could change. 

Hey!” Jongdae shouted, swooping down as he shouted, “What the fuck is up!” 

That seemed to catch this fake Godspeed’s attention, and the figure stopped in his tracks, vibrating in place. He looked like how Sehun had looked when he had first woken up from his coma. It was with that memory that Jongdae reached down and swiped his fist through the air, hoping to land a punch. 

But he only hit air, as this Godspeed was gone, had run away before continuing to circle around the pier. Jongdae formed a ball of electricity in his hands, tossing it in the air before catching it and throwing it at Godspeed. He missed, knocking out a part of the railing instead. Jongdae tried again and again, scorching the floor of the pier instead after all those failed attempts. What was more frustrating? Missing or fighting this one-sidedly? 

“Fight back,” Jongdae said through gritted teeth, “What’s your problem?” 

He threw a larger lightning bolt at this Godspeed and briefly wondered how much taxdollars this would cost in damages after it missed and started a small fire. Fighting Junmyeon was easier. Fighting Junmyeon was better, to be honest. At least he wanted to fight back. This Godspeed was more interested in running away, in running, running, running without even stopping to look at Jongdae. Perhaps he was afraid of thunder. 

But he couldn’t run forever, and Jongdae pulled one hand back as he created another lightning bolt and pushed his other hand in front of him, swiveling in place as he tried to track where Godspeed was running. He grasped the lightning bolt in his hand and tossed it lightly in the air as he waited for the right opportunity. If this Godspeed was running in circles at the same rate, then all Jongdae would have to do is time his attack right, and he’d be able to land a hit. 

Jongdae closed one eye and kept the other open to aim, and without hesitating, threw the lightning bolt, aiming for the lamppost that Godspeed seemed to run under every single time. The figure let out a shriek and convulsed before crumpling down. It seemed Jongdae miscalculated one thing, and that was how much energy he had put into that lightning bolt. He was hoping for perhaps a gentle electrocution. Not something like that. 

Sehun would have stopped to ask if they were fine, but Jongdae was not Sehun. He flew towards this Godspeed slowly, clenching his fists as they illuminated and crackled with electricity. 

“You gave up so easily,” Jongdae said, “what type of a villain are you? Were you paid or something? Where’s your fight?” 

He landed and walked towards this Godspeed, watching as he grabbed his leg and groaned. When this Godspeed saw Jongdae approach, he tried to run again. But the Velocity must have worn off because he wasn’t fast anymore, and he hobbled on one leg.

Jongdae could end this in a second and return to City Hall to help Sehun in minutes. So he would. Jongdae ran forwards, not needing any speed to grab this Godspeed by the back of their white suit before slamming him into the nearby railing. The ocean watched below them, churning black, inky waters. 

Jongdae ripped off the mask and blinked, staring at the person before him and feeling the fight leave him. He relaxed, the light softening around his body and the thunder fizzling out from his fists. 

“Dr. Lee?” he said.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Just as Sehun was about to pick up a bomb and run it to the ocean, a familiar voice sounded. 

“I put these things down for a second, thinking I have at least a minute before you give me trouble, but you find it in three seconds. I guess I should have expected this.” 

Sehun turned around, suddenly face to face with Junmyeon who was still wearing a normal suit. One hand was jammed in his pocket, the other held a glass of champagne. 

“You can’t blow this place up,” Sehun said, “I won’t allow it. I don’t know who this new Godspeed is, but he’s being taken down this very second.” 

“There’s only one real Godspeed,” Junmyeon smiled. 

“Then why did you send an imposter to the music festival?” Sehun asked. 

Junmyeon disappeared, and a second later, he reappeared wearing his Godspeed suit. 

“Better?” Godspeed said, his voice metallic and scraping against Sehun’s ears. 

“I didn’t know you were smart enough to make all these bombs,” Sehun said. 

“I didn’t,” Godspeed said, “Money can really buy you everything, Flash. Remember that Central City bomber a few months ago? I had him make me bombs before his hands froze off. Pity.” 

Sehun gasped. 

“Did you pay him to bomb the city, too?” he asked, shiftily looking to his right. A cluster of three bombs was right beside him. 

“I wanted to test how capable you were,” Godspeed said as he took a step forth. 

“People could have died,” Sehun said, inching towards the nearest bomb. If he had a head start, he could snatch one up and run straight out the door. 

“You saved all of them then, but there’s nothing you can do about it now,” Godspeed said. 

He didn’t give Sehun a chance to even touch a bomb and ran towards him, raising his fist to try and land the first blow. Sehun danced among the bombs, ducking blows, trying to throw some of his own. But his main preoccupation was making sure that Junmyeon didn’t accidentally hit a bomb and murder them both and everyone in this building. 

Though seconds felt like minutes to them, these minutes they wasted fighting were gone too fast. For a second, Sehun heard Jongdae’s voice burst through the comms, stating that he found Dr. Lee. Jongdae’s voice was enough inspiration, enough strength, enough to make Sehun pull himself off the ground immediately after getting knocked down. 

Sehun tried a different tactic, pushing Godspeed off of him as he ran for a bomb, trying to at least run one off. But Godspeed grabbed Sehun by the shoulder and kicked him to the floor again before he could even touch a wire. 

“It’s useless,” Godspeed said, “these bombs are going off, and the only people making it out of this are my father and me.” 

Sehun could not think of a single way he could win this fight in three seconds or less, so he pressed a finger to the lightning bolt around his ear and spoke into his comms. 

“Joohyun, Seulgi,” Sehun said, “Evacuate the whole building and call the police. He’s got bombs.” 

That was all he could say before Godspeed punched him hard in the stomach, sending him flying over to the other side of the room. Sehun doubled over and slumped against the wall, clutching at his stomach as he hissed. 

“They won’t be here in time,” Godspeed said. He took his time to stalk towards Sehun before kicking his abdomen again. “They won’t be able to stop all thirty bombs I’ve placed. And you think this is all? I’ve planted at least thirty more in the columns in the main ballroom, too.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Back at the pier, Jongdae relaxed, feeling bad for a second that he had hurt Dr. Lee. 

Dr. Lee was trembling, his back pressed up against the railing as he edged away from Jongdae. 

“It’s okay!” Jongdae said, raising his hands out to assure Dr. Lee he wasn’t going to hurt him. 

“Stay away from me,” Dr. Lee stuttered, glancing behind him at the ocean. Perhaps he thought jumping in seemed like a better option than facing this thunder god. 

“It’s okay,” Jongdae said, “It’s me. Jongdae.” 

Dr. Lee was someone Jongdae could trust with this secret. After all, he was Jongdae’s boss, his mentor, his teacher. An inspiration. 

Dr. Lee squinted, staring long and hard at Jongdae before he slightly relaxed. 

“Jongdae?” he asked, “Is that really you?”

Jongdae nodded and tried to dim the light from his body. But he really couldn’t. There was only on and off, only light or nothing at all. 

“Did he make you do this? Godspeed?” Jongdae said. 

Dr. Lee nodded quickly. 

“He said he’d kill me if I didn’t,” Dr. Lee said, “that he’d kill my family and me.” 

“It’s okay,” Jongdae said, “That won’t happen.” 

That’d never happen again. 

“What was he planning? How do we stop him?” Jongdae asked. 

“He…” Dr. Lee said, gasping for breath, “he made me use Velocity to run around here to split the police attention and your attention so he could act with less witnesses at City Hall. He’s got bombs planted around the whole structure. It’s going down in ten minutes. Probably even less by now.” 

Jongdae paused. He had to get back to Sehun. 

“So if we stop the bombs, then that’s all? That’s his big plan?” Jongdae asked. He wondered if Sehun would run the bombs out here and stared out across the pier, feeling the wind scrape against his cheeks, looking for any sign of a red light, a red blur. But there was nothing. 

“Wait,” Dr. Lee said, clutching at Jongdae’s arm, “He made me create V9, the latest version of the velocity drug. It’s the most dangerous one, and it’ll let him run at speeds no one has ever dreamed of.” 

Jongdae clenched his fist and hoped Sehun was fine by himself. 

“Has he used it tonight? Will it wear off quickly? The Flash is probably fighting him right now,” he said. 

Jongdae listened to his comms. There was only a cacophony of noise, Baekhyun saying he was close to the pier, Joohyun informing them that the police were five minutes away. Nothing from Sehun. 

“No, no,” Dr. Lee shook his head, “I think that’ll be his last resort. V9…every time I’ve tested it on his cells, they’ve sped them up at the cost of stability. The faster he runs, the faster he disintegrates.” 

“Disintegrate?” Jongdae said, “So he might destroy himself before we can even stop him?” 

“He never asked to try it on himself,” Dr. Lee said, “What if he gives it to the Flash against his will? The faster he runs, the faster he dies.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun’s new strategy was not working. Every time he pushed Godspeed back, he ran towards the nearest bombs hoping to grab at least one. But Godspeed instantly rebounded, recovering from the injuries Sehun dealt as he dragged Sehun back every time he reached out for a bomb. 

So new strategy. 

Well. Same first strategy, but Sehun hoped it would work this time. 

Sehun turned his attention to fighting, to trying to knock Godspeed out. He didn’t care if it hurt. If Godspeed wanted to hit hard, then he would too. He slammed his fists into Godspeed’s chest again and again until Godspeed fell back, hitting the wall with a thump. Perhaps he was on something other than Velocity because Godspeed immediately leapt to his feet. Before he could attack Sehun again, his body started blurring, causing him to pull out a blue vial, attach it to a syringe, and stab it into his leg. 

Sehun didn’t watch what happened next and took that opportunity to snatch the nearest bomb and take off for the beach. He ran faster than he had run before, and the people who managed to catch a glimpse of him wondered what was happening. 

As he approached the ocean, he stretched his arm back and hurtled the bomb far away from the city. Pausing to take a breath, Sehun looked at the pier, saw a bright light and wondered if Jongdae was okay. He stared a second longer before running back to City Hall, hoping he had time to take another bomb away. As soon as he returned, Godspeed was ready for him with a punch, sending Sehun sprawling on the floor. 

Sehun picked himself up again and again off the floor, fighting for his friends, his city, his own self. There were 5 minutes left. 5 minutes left before the bombs exploded, and Sehun would not let this building go down at all costs. 

But Godspeed kicked him particularly hard in the stomach this time, so he took an extra second to stay down, to groan and clutch at his body. He was fast, but he was not invincible, and it was a struggle to pull himself up back on his knees, on his feet this time. 

“Hey,” Joohyun’s voice echoed from his comms, “evacuations are going smoothly, and everyone will be out in no time. But the mayor refuses to leave because he can’t find Junmyeon.” 

“I’ve got it,” Sehun said, breathing heavily. Godspeed had stopped attacking him and had pressed a finger to own his earpiece, apparently listening to something. “Get out now, okay?” 

“I’m not getting out until you do,” Joohyun said. With that tone of voice, there was no use in wasting time changing her mind. Joohyun’s will was stronger than her fear. 

“You look tired,” Godspeed said, lowering his hand, “only natural since you’re inferior to me. But what do you say we take a little break? Check on your friend.” 

He pulled out a phone from his pocket and switched on the screen before Sehun could react. The screen showed a live feed of the pier, and Sehun hesitantly watched as Jongdae was talking to Dr. Lee. Godspeed turned up the volume until they heard Jongdae tell Dr. Lee he’d be fine, but they needed to leave now. 

“He likes Dr. Lee now,” Godspeed said, “He thinks he’s his hero, his inspiration.” 

He let out a dark laugh. 

“Watch me change that in a second.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“Let me help you,” Jongdae said, reaching forth to support Dr. Lee. His cane was nowhere in sight, and now that the effects of the drug had worn off, Dr. Lee was reduced to limping. 

“You…” Dr. Lee said, hobbling forwards and turning his neck to stare at Jongdae. “How did that happen? When?” 

“I woke up from a coma like this,” Jongdae said. 

“Then put me in a coma, too,” Dr. Lee smiled wryly, “maybe when I wake up everything will be fine and I can walk again.” 

They were about to exit the pier when Baekhyun finally arrived, leaning against the railing to catch his breath. 

“What the _fuck_ ,” Baekhyun said, “I need to get into shape if I want to even catch up to you and S—” 

Then he noticed Dr. Lee and shut up. 

“It’s okay,” Dr. Lee said, “I know about Jongdae. I promise I won’t tell. I can’t say I’m surprised that someone like him is doing good and fighting crime.” 

Baekhyun stared before recovering. 

“We’ve got to go,” Baekhyun said, ignoring what Dr. Lee had said, “Sehun needs us.” 

At that, Jongdae prepared to leap into the air and take flight. But before he could leave, a familiar metallic voice echoed out of nowhere. 

“Has Dr. Lee ever told you what he knows about your parent’s murder?” 

Jongdae spun, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked for Godspeed. But there was no one, only the three of them there. 

“What?” Jongdae asked, fists clenching reflexively at the mention of the murders. 

“Ask him what he knows about your parent’s murder,” Godspeed’s voice echoed. Jongdae looked back to Dr. Lee, realizing that the sound was echoing out from his suit. 

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun urged, beckoning him forwards, “Let’s go. Don’t listen to him. He’s trying to distract you so he’ll have more time to set off the bombs.” 

“Let’s go,” Dr. Lee urged, grabbing Jongdae’s arm. His eyes were darting, looking around as if he was afraid the real Godspeed would appear any second. “Baekhyun’s right. He’s only making things up to distract you.” 

Jongdae was busy staring at Dr. Lee that he didn’t notice the way Baekhyun’s expression had tightened.

“Ask him about the murders. Go on,” Godspeed taunted. 

“What is he talking about, Dr. Lee?” Jongdae said. The light around him was brightening, and sparks began flying from his fingers. 

“Nothing! It’s nothing!” Dr. Lee shouted, looking around wildly before he raised his voice, “I did what you asked! Now let me go!” 

“What. Did you do?” Jongdae asked as he stalked towards Dr. Lee. The clouds in the sky quickly darkened, and thunder rumbled in the distance. 

“Jongdae, let’s just _go_ ,” Baekhyun loudly insisted, “Remember S—”

“I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Dr. Lee hurriedly shouted, raising his hands. “I _promise_.” 

“He’s lying!” Godspeed laughed.

“Answer me,” Jongdae said, grabbing Dr. Lee’s collar and pulling him closer. “Is this true? Were you involved with my parent’s murder?” 

Dr. Lee continued to throw out denial after denial, Baekhyun kept urging them to go, but their protests fell on deaf ears. 

“Why don’t you tell him about how you tampered with evidence?” Godspeed said, “How you erased the traces of that second murderer?” 

It had begun to rain, at first light sprinkles of tiny raindrops. But as Jongdae processed what Godspeed had said, the rain worsened, growing heavier and heavier and heavier until Dr. Lee was forced to shield his face with his hand to keep Jongdae in his sight. 

“Did you really do that?” Jongdae said, his voice low and his gaze dangerous.

“Maybe he killed them himself and tampered with the evidence to get away with it,” Godspeed baited Jongdae.

Time had stopped. This was the night Jongdae had dreamt about for so long. The night he’d catch the second killer. He never thought it would end like this, with him staring down at someone he trusted.

“If that’s true,” Jongdae said, raising a fist charged with bolts of lightning towards Dr. Lee, “then I’ll kill you.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything at all but watch the screen and listen to what was happening miles away. What was Jongdae feeling right now? Sehun had forgotten that there were bombs still around them, that the timer had ticked down from five minutes to four, from four to three. 

“I think that’s enough to leave them with,” Godspeed said, switching off the screen and pocketing his phone, “don’t you think? None of your friends will be coming back any time soon after that. They have bigger problems to deal with than bombs.” 

“Did he really do it?” Sehun asked, his heart pounding against his chest, “I uncovered the evidence tampering, but did he really do it? Kill them?” 

Godspeed walked around the basement, the shadows from the window contorting and twisting as he moved, bending the light with every step he took. 

“It’s really funny,” Godspeed said, “you’ve been staring at that case for more than a decade, and I solved it myself in a month?” 

“Did he do it?” Sehun repeated. 

“You never suspect the people closest to you,” Godspeed shook his head, “Never suspecting him even once was your mistake. It’s how people get away with things. How he got away with it.” 

Sehun took a deep breath and looked at the bombs around him. The timer continued to tick down. He needed to focus on this. Not Dr. Lee. 

“Why do you care so much about these bombs anyways?” Godspeed asked, noticing what Sehun had looked at, “Why do you care so much about saving these people? They destroyed you, called you names, criticized you unjustly. And you don’t even want their praise? The glory? I don’t understand.” 

Sehun eyed the clock. He had enough time to run them out, so he answered.

“I know someone who lost two people he loved when he was young,” Sehun said, “those losses have haunted him for the rest of his life. I don’t want anyone to ever feel that, so I run so no one has to lose their life, no one has to lose a friend, a parent, a loved one. And I just…I just want to help. If I can, then why wouldn’t I? 

“You’re so simple,” Godspeed scoffed, “I run because it’s my given right. I run because I deserve the praise, the glory.” 

Sehun didn’t think it would be a good idea to ask him what glory? What praise did he think he was receiving since the whole city hated him now? 

“You run because you blackmailed someone smarter than you to give you your speed,” Sehun said, “You’re not special. You’re a fake. An imposter. Your father loves the Flash, but he hates the Flash you’re trying to become.” 

“Don’t talk of my father,” Godspeed shouted and launched himself at Sehun who narrowly managed to avoid a punch to his face. Godspeed punched the wall, struggling to remove his hand after it sunk into the concrete. Sehun took advantage of the situation and pushed Godspeed forwards, causing his head to lodge into a hole in the wall 

Just as he was about to pick up another bomb, Sehun heard Joohyun inform him that people were still evacuating, and the police would be there in two minutes.

Sehun glanced at the timer, the red two threatening to slip into a one. 

That would be two minutes too late.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

“Explain,” Jongdae spat, pain dripping from his words. Everything had faded from his mind except this. How could he care about bombs…thirty of them when there was his parent’s killer right in front of him? How could he care about one man about to tear up Central City when the one who had destroyed his childhood, his life was right here? 

“ _Explain_ ,” Jongdae shouted, shaking Dr. Lee with his free hand. Across the pier, Baekhyun watched, his hands over his mouth. 

Dr. Lee was stuttering, tripping over his words, taking too long to explain, and Jongdae was not in the mood for this. He had waited long enough, waited sixteen years for this. He needed answers now.

“Explain right now, or I’ll blast a hole in your head,” Jongdae snarled. For emphasis, he hurled a bolt of lightning at Dr. Lee, only narrowly missing his head. 

“Okay, _okay_ ,” Dr. Lee shouted, wiping the rain from his face before hanging his head and slumping his shoulders, “Yes. Yes, I did interfere with your parent’s case.”

“Why,” Jongdae said, feeling his chest tighten before quickly adding, “What did you do?” 

“I tampered with the evidence,” Dr. Lee admitted, having the decency to cover his face with his hands, “and hid any trace of the second killer.” 

“So I was right,” Jongdae said, taking a deep breath, his pulse pounding his head. He felt dizzy, almost dizzy right now. “I was right, and you told me that I was wrong, that I was delusional for all of my life. I was right, and you lied. All this time.”

After sharply inhaling, Jongdae reached forwards, grabbing Dr. Lee’s collar again. 

“Did you kill them?” Jongdae said, electricity crackling from his words, his mouth. He felt a hand on his arm. Probably Baekhyun. But he didn’t care. He needed an answer, one that he had been searching for his whole life, one that he— 

“No,” Dr. Lee said.

Jongdae took another shaky breath. 

“Are you lying to me?” Jongdae said, “If you’re lying then I will—” 

“I said _no_ ,” Dr. Lee said, finally lifting his hands from his face. “No I didn’t.”

“Then who did,” Jongdae said, “You have to know who if you messed with the evidence. There has to be a reason why you did that.” 

The rain continued to worsen around them, but it never touched Jongdae. He was drowning enough in the past anyways.

“My brother,” Dr. Lee said at last, choking on the rain that continued to pound on his skin, “He was always the troublemaker in my family. But he’s the only one I’ve got. Don’t you have anyone you would do anything for, too?

“What’s your point?” Jongdae said even though he did have people he would do anything for. 

Baekhyun. 

Sehun. 

 _Sehun_.

For a brief second, Jongdae hoped Sehun was fine before he shook his head and turned back. 

“Are you saying he killed for you?” Jongdae said. 

“I’m saying,” Dr. Lee said, swiping his soaking hair from his face, “that he was young, doing ridiculous things like robbing places. I didn’t expect him steal from people right from the comfort of their homes, but when he called me that night panicking that he accidentally killed two people, I expected wrong.” 

Jongdae squeezed his eyes shut. The voices back then didn’t sound like they were panicking. They had sounded cruel. Calculated. 

“To protect him,” Dr. Lee said, “I tampered with the evidence. I knew how to make sure only one killer’s evidence was discovered instead of two. I monitored the 911 calls along the way, and I was lucky because I took the 911 call from the neighbor. I told him to call back later, which gave me some time to act. So yes. I did. And I’m sorry for your parents. But I’d do it again for my brother. Just like you’d do anything for Sehun.” 

“Don’t even say his name,” Jongdae shouted, slamming Dr. Lee against the railing, “Don’t even mention my parents…You’re really trying to tell me you knew all this time? You kept me by your _side_ , and you held this in for all these years? How could you work beside me every day knowing what you've done? How could you look me in the eyes and tell me I was wrong every time I tried to tell you that there was a second killer?” 

With every word Jongdae spoke, dark clouds continued to appear on the horizon, smothering the moon and extinguishing the star’s light. With every second that passed, more and more electricity crackled out of his fingers, his body. 

There was a storm brewing, clouds rolling across the sky, threatening to spill their tears, their fury onto the city. The biggest storm Central City had ever seen. Lightning struck, tearing through the air and scorching the ocean and the pier. If Jongdae didn’t stop now, he could destroy the whole city in seconds. 

Jongdae raised his fists and prepared to swing. If he had a knife, he would’ve stabbed the man in front of him, just like the way those murderers stabbed his parents on that night sixteen years ago. But he didn’t have one. Not even a gun. He only had his rage, his pain, and his lightning, so he raised his fists higher, conjuring more and more thunder and prepared to expel the rage that he had hidden in his heart for his whole life.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun and Godspeed continued fighting as the timer counted down beside them. Punches were thrown at each other, punches missed. Kicks were aimed at each other, kicks missed. At this rate, all of them would be lost in the blasts if they didn’t stop fighting. Sehun kept glancing at the time, gritting his teeth, prepared to try and convince Godspeed to stop.

But it seemed that Godspeed was thinking the same thing because he stopped fighting and raised a hand in the air. Sehun warily leaned against the wall to recover, both of them taking a second to breathe, a second of break from the fighting 

“You have two options,” Godspeed said after checking the timers again, “Let me save my father, and you save your friends. Or continue to fight me and let us all die when the bombs go off.” 

“We wouldn’t be here in the first place if you didn’t bring bombs to this ceremony,” Sehun said between breaths, “You really did that…willingly put your father at risk.” 

“We wouldn’t be here if you didn’t steal his attention,” Godspeed snapped, “if the people would rightfully place me on the headlines like I deserve. I gained more attention than I ever had with this suit, so it’s never been the problem.” 

“When everyone is safe, I’m taking you in to the station,” Sehun said, “This isn’t over.” 

“I’d like to see you try,” Godspeed said, shoving Sehun as he walked away, “now do excuse me. There are three seconds left, and I’d like to stop my father from dying.” 

He disappeared, running off to find the mayor.

00:00:02:720 

Sehun darted into the main lobby and found Joohyun and Seulgi ducked behind a column holding each other. Why had they waited for him this long? Joohyun had pushed Seulgi’s head to her chest, as if preparing for the worst. Seulgi had her eyes squeezed shut, but Joohyun stared unblinkingly at the ceiling. The bombs were hanging from the upper columns, staring down like red-eyed bats waiting to devour them. 

00:00:02:592 

The mayor had been in the middle of yelling Junmyeon’s name, his hands cupped around his mouth, his eyes wide and frantic. Without his father able to understand what was happening, Godspeed grabbed the mayor and ran for the exit. 

00:00:02:382 

Sehun grabbed Joohyun with one hand, Seulgi the other, and began to drag them out. He hoped that didn’t hurt as much as he thought. 

00:00:01:935 

Sehun ran for the door, the weight of both Joohyun and Seulgi slowing him down. He gritted his teeth, dug his feet into the marble floors, and kept pushing onwards even though his body was aching. He didn’t look back for the time. It would’ve scared him too much. 

00:00:01:288 

Sehun burst out the front doors of City Hall, cursing the many stairs he still had to descend. If he tripped now, they’d be dead. He always hated stairs. Keeping his gaze downwards, he counted the stairs in his head to forget there was only one second left. If he counted ascending numbers, then that would give him the illusion that they had more time, right? 

00:00:00:00 

Sehun had barely managed to take shelter behind a car meters away from the bottom of the stairs and instinctively throw his arms over Joohyun and Seulgi before the bombs went off. The explosion shattered the windows and the columns of the building instantly. Smoke billowed out of the wreckage, escaping into the night sky, and fires began consuming whatever was left of the building and its debris. 

Sehun let out a long swear before turning to Seulgi and Joohyun. 

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked them. They exchanged a look before slumping against the side of the car beside Sehun and nodded. 

“Why didn’t you run?” Sehun finally gasped, breathing hard, “Weren’t you scared when you saw there were only seconds left?” 

“You came early,” Joohyun managed a smile, “I thought you would’ve come with half a second to go. Two seconds for you is enough time.” 

Sehun groaned and resisted the urge to lie down on the concrete and take a thousand-year-long nap. 

“So that’s it?” Seulgi said, “Everyone’s out of the building, so his plan failed, right?” 

Sehun pulled himself to his feet even though every cell in his body screamed at him to rest. With his body sore and aching, he stood, observing the mess, the scene of destruction. 

The police had finally arrived, and firefighters were running inside to contain the fire. Meters away, it seemed Godspeed and the mayor had safely survived, but after the mayor realized who was beside him, he backed away quickly. 

“ _You_ ,” the mayor said, raising a shaking finger to point at Godspeed, “You’re responsible for this.” 

Sehun walked out from behind the car, prepared to intervene. Not in case Godspeed might do anything, but in case the mayor mistakenly would. 

“No, I saved you,” Godspeed said, raising his hands to show he didn’t mean any harm, “I saved your life. I did everything for you.” 

The mayor turned to find Sehun behind him and ran to his side. 

“You still wanted to hurt these people…I don’t get your fascination with me. Why save me? Why do all these things for me?” the mayor said, the anger creeping back into his voice as he found strength in the presence of the Flash. 

“Because it’s me,” Godspeed said. He reached forwards to slowly pull the cowl off his face. “It’s me, father.” 

“Junmyeon.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Jongdae was in the process of swinging his fist down before he heard Baekhyun yell. 

“ _Jongdae_ ,” Baekhyun shouted, gripping his arm before jerking his hand back, “Don’t do this.” 

Jongdae paused, lowering the voltage of the electricity he was emitting. 

“Get your hand off of me before I accidentally hurt you,” he said, tightening his grip on Dr. Lee with his other hand. Dr. Lee couldn’t escape. Not now. 

“Just give him up to the cops,” Baekhyun pleaded, hovering his hands over Jongdae’s arm, “You caught him, and he’ll face justice now. Just don’t…don’t do this.” 

“I’m doing this for my parents,” Jongdae said. He stared at Dr. Lee trying to find a trace of something…anything other than the fear in his darting eyes. “For every year I had to spend without them. For every second I thought about them laying on the floor, their dead bodies surrounded with their own blood.” 

“They wouldn’t want you to do this,” Baekhyun shook his head rapidly, “You’re better than this.” 

“How would I know what they would’ve wanted?” Jongdae said, letting out a laugh, “They’re _dead_. So many of my memories of them are blurs by now. What did my mom’s hugs feel like? What did my dad’s laugh sound like? Sometimes I don’t even think I remember them at all.” 

“Fine,” Baekhyun said before he took a deep breath, “do it. Kill Dr. Lee. Then what? Then you’ll be just like the man you hate so much. That second killer. The first killer. If you kill, what makes you better than any of them?” 

“I don’t know,” Jongdae said. His fist was still crackling with sparks, and Dr. Lee let out a scream and cringed away. “But I know it’ll make me feel better.”

“In the moment, yes,” Baekhyun shouted, swiping a hand through the air, “but think about tomorrow when you wake up and remember what you did. Will you feel good about that then?” 

When Jongdae was still unmoved, Baekhyun stepped closer and tried a different tactic. 

“It’s always been you and me and Sehun,” he said, softening his voice, reaching out to touch Jongdae again, “all my life, you’ve been my family. If you go to jail for his murder or suffer something worse under the law, you’ll be gone. If you won’t do this for yourself, then do it for me.” 

“You’re not alone, Baekhyun,” Jongdae said, but he hesitated when Baekhyun finally touched his arm. Baekhyun gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold onto Jongdae despite the charges shocking him. Why would he hold on? What was there to hold onto? 

Jongdae managed to dim the light from his arm so he wouldn’t hurt Baekhyun. 

“You’ve never been alone, and you’ll still have plenty of people who care about you and who you care about it. Just let me go and do this,” Jongdae said, lowering his voice. 

“ _Please,”_ Baekhyun said, “Please… _Please_. You’re all I have left, and if you lose yourself to this, I’ll have no one but Sehun.” 

Sehun. 

Jongdae paused, relaxing his fists for a second. 

Right. 

Sehun. 

He couldn’t believe he actually forgot.

Taking a shuddering breath, Jongdae lowered his fist and raised a finger to his ear.

“Sehun?” Jongdae spoke into the comms, “Are you there?”

He kicked the floor with his foot, hoping Sehun was still alive. 

“Yes,” Sehun answered half a second later. Jongdae breathed. “I’m here. Always. Are you okay?” 

Jongdae stared at the sky above and explained to Sehun what had happened. It always hurt no matter how many times he’d said it before. There was silence from the other end, a silence that lasted for at least ten seconds. Sehun was always the silent one, listening before speaking, thinking before acting. 

“So I’m standing here,” Jongdae said after hearing Sehun say he was sorry, so sorry, “electricity in my hands…ready to blow him to smithereens for what he did. Baekhyun said I shouldn’t. What do you think?” 

He expected a no. Maybe he needed that second no. Two no’s from Baekhyun and Sehun to outvote him, to forcibly make him give up his rage and end this. But he didn’t expect Sehun’s answer. 

“You’ve always told me to do things for myself. Live for myself,” Sehun said, “So I’ll say the same for you. Do what your heart wants. I’ll support you no matter what. But even if you want to walk towards the darkness, I will always believe in the light that’s inside you. The light that is you.”

With that, Jongdae slowly inhaled and looked back at Dr. Lee. 

“I want to know if every time you looked me in the eye and told me there wasn’t a second killer, you felt bad. Guilty. Anything at all,” Jongdae said, eyes searching for something on Dr. Lee’s expression. When he received no answer, just a frightened stare, he continued. 

“I want to know if every time I walked into work, you were reminded of what you had done. What your brother had done,” Jongdae said. 

Still no answer. 

The light flickered from Jongdae’s eyes, from his hands, from his body every now and then as he spoke, like someone was switching a lamp on and off. Like a firefly about to die. 

“I want to know if you looked at my parent’s bodies on the day of their murder and felt anything…any pity, any sympathy. Or was there only shame? Shame when you cleaned up the blood, the fingerprints?” Jongdae said. The rain gradually began to lessen, and the clouds slowly parted from the sky to reveal a sliver of the moon. 

“I want to know if you meant it…when you saw me in the police station the next day, huddled with blankets, crying my eyes out…and you stopped to touch my shoulder and said that you’d close up the case well for them. That you were sorry,” Jongdae said. He wondered how his voice sounded this calm, this unwavering. 

Dr. Lee, with his lip trembling, finally spoke. 

“Of _course_ I did,” Dr. Lee shouted, “Of course it was hard to work with you every time you came. But what could I do? My brother…he still went to prison years later for armed robbery and assault. He’s still there now.” 

Jongdae exhaled. 

“I looked after you like a son,” Dr. Lee continued to say, “and it was hard every time I remembered you thought I was your hero. That you idolized me.” 

“You’re wrong,” Jongdae sneered, “You’re not my hero, and you never were.” 

He had heroes of his own, but none of them were Dr. Lee, no matter what it might have seemed. One of his heroes was across the city dressed in red. The other was standing next to him, quietly watching. 

“You think I wanted to learn from you because you were the best?” Jongdae raised his voice, “maybe the country thinks you were the best forensic scientist, but I wanted to learn from you and then beat you. You were the one who supposedly missed a second killer, so I wanted to be better than you and prove that I was _right_. And I am.” 

Dr. Lee’s expression crumpled. 

“I really am sorry, Jongdae,” he said. In this moment he looked aged, much older than he really was. “But I made a choice for my brother, and I’ll live with that for the rest of my life.” 

“My parents are _dead_ ,” Jongdae shouted, “and I have to live with that for the rest of my life. What’s your punishment? What retribution or justice have you ever seen?” 

Dr. Lee hung his head and sighed. 

“I won’t cover up my brother’s actions anymore,” Dr. Lee said, “I’ll make up for his sins.” 

“You have enough sins to worry about,” Jongdae snapped, “worry about yourself.” 

“Then I’ll make it up to you,” Dr. Lee said. 

“I want my parents back,” Jongdae said, “But you can’t do that. You can’t.” 

He raised his fist, electricity surging rom his knuckles. But it flickered out as he punched Dr. Lee as hard as he could. 

With that, he fell to his knees after pushing Dr. Lee away from him. His light extinguished completely, and he just Jongdae now. Just a boy now. Just twelve years old staring at his parent’s dead bodies now. 

Jongdae cried for a whole minute. He cried like his body would collapse any second from all the heaving, the sobbing. The last time he had cried like this was after Sehun was struck by lightning. The first time he had cried like this was after the shock had worn of and he had realized his parents were gone. 

He felt hands hold him, hands rub his shoulders. Jongdae didn’t have to open his eyes to know who it was, and he only buried his face into Baekhyun’s chest and cried harder. 

This was not how he wanted to realize the truth. This was not how he wanted to find out he was right all along. This was not how he wanted to gain the closure he had wanted his whole life. But he didn’t have time to think and shakily pushed himself off the ground after hearing shouting from his comms. The time to process this would be later. Later.

“Let’s go,” he said, turning to Baekhyun, swiping away the tears on his cheek. He breathed in and let the lightning surge through his body again. “The Flash needs us.”

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

Sehun felt his heart sink after his comms went silent. He would support whatever Jongdae chose, but he hoped Jongdae would act with his heart. Not his rage. He gave Jongdae one last thought before refocusing his attention to the situation in front of him. Junmyeon was still trying to convince his father that it really was him, but the mayor kept shaking his head. 

“Godspeed?” the mayor spluttered, “My son?” 

“Yes,” Junmyeon pleaded. He stepped closer to his father, but every time he did, the mayor only backed away. “It’s _me_. _Please_ …” 

“This is some kind of joke,” the mayor said, stretching out a hand to keep Junmyeon away from him, “You were with me when the security guard reported Godspeed terrorizing the music festival. You were there when we heard the news. It can’t be you.” 

“I orchestrated that,” Junmyeon said, “That was someone else to distract the police while I did what I needed to do here with the bombs. With saving you.”

“You _what_?” the mayor shouted, hands flying to clutch at his head. “Stop this nonsense and take that suit off, Junmyeon. The real Godspeed is out there, and it’s not you. Stop.” 

Across the street, reporters and their camera crews crept closer and silently filmed the confrontation. Junmyeon wasn’t an immediate threat, so Sehun took a few steps back and watched. 

“Listen,” Junmyeon shouted at last, causing the mayor to forget what he was about to say, “Just _listen_ to me.” 

He softened his voice and continued speaking. 

“Godspeed. I named myself after you, after what you believe in,” Junmyeon said, “I run at speeds only gods dream of because this is what a son of yours should be able to do. If you’re the greatest person ever, then I fashioned myself after the gods to try and live up to even a fraction of your legacy.” 

The mayor stayed silent, his expression shifting as he listened to Junmyeon speak. At last, he wearily ran a hand through his hair and sighed. 

“Son,” the mayor finally said, “you’ve misunderstood the phrase. It means may God help you succeed. It’s a sentiment of well-wish…not something you can twist into a terrorist’s motto…” 

“Everything I did was for you,” Junmyeon said, speaking a little louder, sounding a little more hysterical, “To make you proud. The bombs were regrettable, but I only wanted to save you from them to prove that I’m worthy of your pride, of your love…that I’m worthy to be your son.” 

He shouted the last part, the words echoing into silence. Behind them, the cameras kept rolling, the reporters waiting for the chance to swoop in for an interview. Sehun couldn’t imagine what types of headlines were going to be on the news tomorrow, but maybe then Junmyeon would finally get his wish. 

“Junmyeon,” the mayor said, raising his hands again, spreading them out. His eyebrows had knitted upwards, and his lip slightly trembled as he spoke. “I don’t know why you thought you had to do all of this…I’ve always been proud. I’ve always been lucky that you’re my son.”

“Really?” Junmyeon said, carefully looking at his father.

The mayor nodded, motioning for Junmyeon to come closer. Junmyeon strode forwards and ran into his father’s arms, hugging him tightly. Within seconds, Sehun heard crying. The mayor wouldn’t try to cover this up, right? There were so many witnesses around them, and within the hour, everyone would know the mayor’s son was the one who had been terrorizing the city. 

“I am so sorry,” the mayor said, rubbing Junmyeon’s back, “that my job makes me spend so much time away from you. But I’m here now. I’m here, so things will be fine.” 

Junmyeon said nothing, only nodded as he cried harder. 

“But you have to turn yourself in,” the mayor insisted, “You’ve hurt a lot of people. You need to face justice for your actions.” 

Junmyeon froze, quickly pushing himself off of his father. He tried to stop his tears, but his chest still heaved up and down as he took deep breaths. 

“You…you’re giving up on me?” Junmyeon said, stepping back as his eyebrows furrowed and his expression darkened. 

“No,” the mayor said, waving his hand, “not at all! But you need to go with the police. Think of all the potential victims of the fires, the bombs, and—” 

“I…I saved people,” Junmyeon said, “Don’t you think that’s worthy enough?” 

“From fires you started, explosions you caused,” the mayor gently said, trying to make his voice soothing as he stepped closer to his son. 

It was a wonder that the police had not arrested Junmyeon yet, but perhaps they were giving the mayor time to talk his son down. All they did was stand around him with their guns raised. Junmyeon seemed to notice them at last and roughly wiped the last of his tears away before regaining his composure. 

“You didn’t see any of it did you,” Junmyeon said, “even though Godspeed made headlines for saving so many people. This was before you knew I started the fires. This was when I was a hero before the city turned me into something else. And you didn’t even notice. Again.” 

“I—” the mayor said before Junmyeon cut him off and started pacing around. The police tightened their grip on their guns.

“No,” Junmyeon said, shaking his head, “You’ve always loved the Flash more. I see it now. Did you know that the person behind the Flash’s mask is just a scared little boy? Someone so weak that he cries over every little death? Someone who is not deserving of the speed he was given?” 

He jabbed a finger towards Sehun’s direction, and Sehun felt himself tense, sensing something would happen soon. Either Junmyeon would continue to spill his mouth or do something. Sehun could feel it as he saw Junmyeon’s fists clenching and his jaw tightening. 

“I wouldn’t expect anything other than that,” the mayor firmly said, “if he wasn’t scared while doing what he does, then I would’ve been surprised. I wouldn’t have believed him. You need to be more like him, Junmyeon. He helps people selflessly, but you help people for your self. I thought you knew better than to act like this.” 

That was the final word that pushed Junmyeon over the edge. Junmyeon’s scowl deepened, and he flew at Sehun as he raised his voice.

“This is all your _fault_ ,” he screamed. But it seemed his speed had worn off, so he could only stride torwards him at a normal, non-powered pace. Before Sehun could even react, Joohyun had stomped forwards and slammed a well-placed upper cut punch that sent Junmyeon reeling. Seulgi finished what Joohyun started and swept his feet from under him. As he fell, she pushed him to the floor.

“Handcuffs?” she called out to the police. Junmyeon struggled, screaming from the ground, but Seulgi was stronger and effortlessly pinned him down with a single hand. Beside Sehun, Joohyun clutched her hand and stared at Seulgi the same way Sehun stared at Jongdae. 

“You ruined this,” Junmyeon shouted, squirming and kicking his legs in the air as a police officer bent down to snap handcuffs to his wrists, “I was supposed to be a _hero_ , my dad’s hero, but you…This is your _fault_.”

With a roar, he pushed the police officer off of him and phased through his cuffs. Before anyone could react, he pulled out a vial from his pocket and attached it to a syringe. Unlike the blue vials he had used before, this vial contained a dark, glowing red liquid.

At the sight of the syringe, the police officers pulled out their guns again and aggressively demanded Junmyeon to drop what he was holding and put his hands in the air. 

“That’s my son,” the mayor bellowed, rushing forth, only to be stopped by a few police officers. As he pushed against them, he continued to yell. “Don’t shoot! That’s my _son_.” 

“Don’t do it,” Sehun said, stretching out a hand as he saw Junmyeon position the syringe above his thigh, “whatever it is you’re doing, don’t do it.”

“This will make me run at speeds only gods could dream of,” Junmyeon said, his chest heaving as he breathed faster and faster. 

“But you’re not a god,” Sehun said, “You’re already fast enough, so just—” 

“You are so _stupid_ ,” Junmyeon loudly said as his hands shook, “Why use your speed for such insignificant reasons like saving and helping others when you can change the whole fabric of existence and write it to your will?” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Sehun shook his head, “You need help, Junmyeon.” 

Junmyeon glared at him for a second more before stabbing the syringe into his thigh. He slowly exhaled and pulled Godspeed’s cowl over his face. 

“Did you know that if you run fast enough, you could travel back in time? Or go to the future?” Junmyeon said, his voice distorted and deepened by the voice modifier on his suit, “Or is your simple self content with running at a mere few hundred miles an hour?” 

He tilted his head slowly and flexed his arms and legs, unbothered by all the guns pointed at him, deaf to all his father’s pleas to _stop._  

“I’m going to change the past so none of this ever happened. To fix your mistakes. Maybe when I’m done rewriting history to my will, you won’t even have your powers. You won’t even know the people you love. You won’t even be born,” Junmyeon said. With a dark chuckle, he raced off into the night, sending a trail of blue lightning crackling after him. 

The police shot at him, but it was too late. He was long gone. 

Sehun concluded that the drugs had finally gotten to Junmyeon’s head. Because that wasn’t possible. Running to the past and the future was impossible.

Right? 

“Se…Flash!” Sehun heard a voice call out. After quickly turning around, Sehun saw bright lights in the sky and felt his lips lift up despite what Junmyeon had just said. 

Jongdae was hovering above them, holding Baekhyun with one hand, Dr. Lee with his other. Baekhyun was clutching at Jongdae like his life depended on it and squeezed his eyes shut. Dr. Lee pressed his lips together and slumped against Jongdae’s arm. When Jongdae was close enough to the ground, he threw Dr. Lee down at the police’s feet. 

“Arrest him for tampering with evidence and accessory to murder,” he said. The police looked at him in bewilderment, but Dr. Lee hung his head, nodded, and lifted his wrists out for them to cuff him. 

“Okay,” Baekhyun said once Jongdae safely put him down, “Okay…I’m…never doing that again. What the fuck. What if you dropped me?” 

“I didn’t,” Jongdae said, watching Baekhyun lie down and hug the ground for a second before flying into Sehun’s arms. Sehun held Jongdae so tightly that they had began to sway on the spot. He rested his cheek on Jongdae’s head and stared into the horizon, narrowing his eyes as he saw a small blue light begin to take form in the sky. He didn’t know what that meant, but he didn’t give it another thought because Jongdae was here.

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked as he continued to hold Jongdae tightly, “I…I can’t even imagine what you must feel right now.”

He stared at Jongdae, moving his hands to lightly touch Jongdae’s face. He didn’t pull away even when he felt static lightly shock him. Jongdae pushed Sehun’s hands away from his face before holding them. 

“No,” he admitted, forcing a smile onto his face, “We can talk about this later. But right now, I can’t think of that. Where’s Junmyeon? Did you arrest him?”

Jongdae looked around at the squad cars, only finding the police scrambling around the scene, fire fighters continue running in and out, and people barking orders at each other while the mayor stood, frozen in place. 

“He escaped and stabbed himself with something…like Velocity. But he said it would make him faster than anyone could imagine,” Sehun said.

Jongdae’s eyes widened. 

“V9?” Jongdae said. When Sehun only gave him a blank stare, he continued. “Dr. Lee said he made him an upgraded version of the drug that would allow him to run at higher speeds. But the faster he runs, the faster he disintegrates.” 

Sehun glanced at the mayor who had sank to the ground and covered his face with his hands. 

“Then I’ll have to stop him before that happens,” Sehun said. 

“Why do you care so much for people who don’t deserve it?” Jongdae sighed, swinging their hands around the air. 

“Someone has to care if no one will, right?” Sehun shrugged. 

“You and your big heart,” Jongdae shook his head. 

Before either of them could say anything more, Baekhyun rushed up to them and pointed at the sky. The blue light had grown bigger, looming above several buildings in the distance. 

“Does anyone want to tell me what the fuck is that?” Baekhyun said. 

“Is that Junmyeon?” Jongdae said, “What’s he up to now?” 

“He said he was going to travel to the past to fix this,” Sehun said, watching the light expand before his very eyes, “That’s not possible. Right?”

“It could be,” Jongdae said after a pause, “how is he doing that? Creating that hole?” 

“One second,” Sehun said, racing up to the top of the nearest building to look closer. He saw a blue streak circle the city, doing lap after lap in seconds. The streak was moving so fast that it looked like there was a glowing, blue ring around the city.

“I think he’s running a loop around the city. Maybe to pick up speed?” Sehun asked after he came back to Jongdae and Baekhyun. 

“Maybe somehow that’s causing _that_ ,” Baekhyun said, gesturing at the blue hole in the sky. It was the size of a large apartment building now and was only growing bigger as every second passed. 

“So if I stop him, then he doesn’t disintegrate. And hopefully that hole will close up,” Sehun said, “Can your scientific minds tell me if that sounds like it will work?”

Jongdae and Baekhyun looked at each other before shrugging. 

“I have no fucking clue,” Baekhyun said, “but it sounds like the best idea at the moment.” 

“It’s our only idea,” Jongdae corrected. 

“How fast do I have to run to catch up to him?” Sehun asked, “How fast is he going?” 

“If V9 is the latest update, and Dr. Lee’s increased how fast he could go with every version,” Baekhyun said, “then…” 

“Mach 3,” Jongdae said, “at least.” 

“Damn,” Baekhyun said. 

Sehun blinked. 

“I have no idea what that is, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never gone that fast in my whole life,” Sehun said.

“Then we’ll think of some other way,” Baekhyun said.

“Well, I have to try at least,” Sehun said after glancing up and finding the hole the size of the park. 

“You can do it, Sehun,” Jongdae said as he touched his arm, “I know you can do it. If anyone can, it’s you.” 

Now was the wrong place to propose, but Sehun noticed the way Jongdae looked at him, the way he touched his arm, and was about to drop on a knee right then and there before shaking his head and focused. 

“Okay,” Sehun said at last, “I’ll stop him and be back before you know it.” 

He didn’t want to hear any good-byes, so he ran before they could say anything else.

Sehun ran towards the borders of the city until he found the glowing blue ring. He stopped, observing how smoky tendrils drifted off the ring and gathered above in the hole. Sehun took a deep breath and ran straight into the ring headfirst. Immediately, something pushed against him, and he stumbled, though managed to keep his balance and continued to run.

Sometimes, Sehun could see Junmyeon running ahead of him, but every time he tried to reach him, he sped ahead. He was hopelessly outpaced, though dug his feet into the ground and tried to catch up to Junmyeon. Just as Sehun was about to close the distance between them, Junmyeon lapped him and shoved his shoulder when he passed him. 

“Wait!” Sehun shouted after Junmyeon ran past him for another time, “Did you know that V9—” 

But Junmyeon paid him no attention and ran around the circle once more, slowing down when he caught up to Sehun. 

“Did you come to try and ruin something again?” Junmyeon said, “You won’t be able to stop me. I will do what no one else has ever done and travel back in time to fix all of this. So give up now and turn back.” 

Sehun was too busy staring at the little blue particles that had begun to flake off of Junmyeon’s suit and rise up in the air. Fuck. He was running out of time. Junmyeon frowned at Sehun’s lack of reaction and he pushed him again before speeding ahead. This time, the force of Junmyeon’s shove caused Sehun to stumble out of the circle and skid across some empty field. 

Sehun took a deep breath, taking the time to evaluate the situation. As the ring around the city grew brighter and brighter, the hole above the city became bigger and bigger. 

“Jongdae,” Sehun called out, “I’m not fast enough to stop him.” 

“You don’t have to be fast to stop him,” Jongdae answered, his voice calm, “Use your heart. That’s always been your greatest strength.” 

“My heart?” Sehun asked.

“Take away all your speed, and who are you?” Jongdae asked. 

“Someone who loves you more than anything in the world,” Sehun said. 

“Take away Junmyeon’s speed, and who is he?” Jongdae asked. 

“His father’s son,” Sehun said, and finally, he knew what he had to do. What he had to say. 

“I’ll see you in a second,” Sehun said. Jongdae hummed in response. 

Sehun took a deep breath and sprinted back into the circle, continually ambushed by Junmyeon as he ran. He almost tripped and flew out of the circle again, but he held on, stumbling around until he managed to run straight again. 

“Junmyeon,” Sehun shouted. This time, Junmyeon slowed down, running just slightly ahead of Sehun so he could turn his head back and shout. 

“ _What_ ,” Junmyeon said, “do you want me to kill you right now?” 

He was only about a meter ahead of Sehun, so Sehun tried as hard as he could to catch up, swinging his legs forwards and digging his heels into the ground. Every cell in his body was telling him to slow down, to stop, but Sehun refused to give in. With a loud gasp, he pushed forwards, running faster than he had ever run before.

“Junmyeon,” Sehun shouted when he finally caught up. Junmyeon turned his head to find Sehun beside him and for once didn’t say anything. 

“You’ll die if you keep running fast, even faster than this,” Sehun said, “so you have to stop—”

“You’re only saying this to stop me, and you can’t,” Junmyeon laughed, “once that portal opens, it won’t close until I enter it. Besides. What do you care?” 

“Because,” Sehun shouted. He was rapidly tiring with every step he took, but he forced himself to continue. “Think of your father. Think of the people you’ll leave behind. Think of yourself.” 

“I’m doing this for myself, idiot,” Junmyeon said but he fell silent after hearing the mention of his father. “Maybe when I come out of this, I’ll be the Flash. Not you.” 

“Well if you become the Flash for the right reasons and help people when they’re in need. Not when you create some disaster to save them from…Then that would be fine,” Sehun said between quick breaths, “The most important thing is making sure everyone can come home to their loved ones, you know?” 

“You won’t even be aware of the consequences, that you’re not the Flash anymore when I succeed,” Junmyeon said before he paused. “But what happens if the people who need help don’t have anyone to come home to?” 

“Then you make them remember they’re not alone,” Sehun said, “that’s it, really. That’s what it means to be the Flash. You have to let everyone know you’re here for them no matter where they are or who they are.”

“Even now, I don’t get it,” Junmyeon said, “Why you? Why you when you don’t want any of the glory? Why you when you don’t even listen to the praise?”

Sehun fell silent as they continued to run. Their combined speed was probably making the hole bigger, but he’d worry about that later. Stopping Junmyeon was his current priority.

“It wasn’t supposed to be me,” Sehun admitted. He continued to feel his body scream at him to _stop,_ but even now, he forced himself to fight for every step he continued to take. “But I made a choice. I chose to save Jongdae, to push him out of harm’s way, and to take that lightning bolt. I guess you could say that’s the choice I keep making when I’m out there. I’m not the Flash because I have a tragic childhood or a past I have to atone for. I’m not the Flash because I think I’m all that great and I deserve the praise and glory. I’m the Flash because I know I can help. I’m the Flash because I’ll try even if it seems like I can’t. I am the Flash because I love more than I fear.”

“Then I’m Godspeed because I hate you more than I love,” Junmyeon spat back. Sehun checked Junmyeon and found his mask beginning to disintegrate, little particles drifting in the wind. 

“That’s not true,” Sehun said, hoping it wasn’t too late to stop Junmyeon, “You’re Godspeed because you love your father more than you hate anything. For what other reason could you have been doing everything if it were not all for him?”

Junmyeon fell silent. His suit continued to crumble, which was Sehun’s cue to consider grabbing Junmyeon and forcibly making him stop running. 

“Did Dr. Lee tell you that using V9 would make you degenerate the faster you run?” Sehun asked. 

“He’s lying,” Junmyeon insisted, “he just didn’t want me to have this great power.” 

“He’s not,” Sehun shouted, “Look at yourself, Junmyeon.” 

Junmyeon looked down at his hands, found his gloves disintegrating, but continued running nonetheless. 

“I’ll stop when I’m through. Every headline will bear my name when I’m done,” Junmyeon said. 

“What did I say about making headlines?” Sehun shouted in panic, “You won’t even be there to see the headlines if you’re gone.” He tried to pull Junmyeon out of the circle, but he touched nothing when he grabbed for his shoulder. 

Junmyeon looked down at his hands again before tilting his chin up and continuing to run despite what he saw. 

“When I die, I’ll finally make the headlines. As myself,” he said. 

“ _No_ ,” Sehun said, trying but failing to touch Junmyeon again. He was so tired from all this running, but he couldn’t stop now. Wouldn’t stop now. Especially if someone’s life depended on it. “Anything but that. As long as you’re alive, you’ll get other chances to make the headlines. You already make your father proud, so—” 

“Not anymore,” Junmyeon said. The rest of his suit dissolved, the particles floating in the air like blue stars coming home, like glowing rain returning to the clouds above. 

“There’s still time,” Sehun insisted, “if he loves you, then he’ll forgive you. Do it for him.” 

Junmyeon remained silent, so Sehun continued to yell at him, hoping at least some of his words would change his mind.

“Stop running, and live for him,” Sehun said. Junmyeon said nothing, but he matched Sehun’s pace as they ran around the city again and again. Sehun slightly slowed down, hoping Junmyeon would follow him. He did.

“Do you really think it’s not too late?” Junmyeon asked.

Sehun slowed down a little more, relieved when Junmyeon copied him. Maybe he did it unconsciously. Maybe he did it on purpose. 

“It is never too late for love,” Sehun said. 

Junmyeon screamed into the void above them one last time before he finally slowed down. Sehun stayed with him until they both stopped. They panted, bodies bending over as they fought to catch their breath. Junmyeon yanked off the hood of his suit and breathed deeply. His cowl was half destroyed from the effects of V9, but underneath, his skin was unmarred at least. Sehun searched for any visible injuries, but it seemed Junmyeon was fine. 

After Sehun caught enough of his breath, he whisked Junmyeon back to the ruins of City Hall before Junmyeon could do anything else. 

“Oh, thank _god_ ,” the mayor said as soon as he saw Junmyeon. He ran forwards and took him into his arms, hugging him tightly. 

Sehun leaned against the side of the squad car, continuing to rest and give his heart a chance to slow down.

The police wrestled Junmyeon from the mayor’s arms, and despite his protests, slammed him against the nearest squad car and handcuffed him. Without a second to spare, they pushed him in the back of a police car and shut it. Junmyeon kept his head down, ignoring the mayor who hovered by the window. 

“Godspeed, my son,” the mayor said at last, placing his hand on the glass. 

Junmyeon finally looked up and only stared as his father continued to touch the glass. Two police officers got into the car, started the engine, and drove off. Junmyeon didn't look back even as his father raised a hand in the air before lowering it. 

Sehun kept his eyes on the car until it disappeared from sight and until the sirens faded in the distance. Then he looked around, finally finding his friends in the crowd. As if anticipating the public might guess who Sehun was if they interacted, Baekhyun, Joohyun, and Seulgi hung back, gathering around the ambulances a few meters away from Sehun. But Jongdae ran forwards and hurtled himself against Sehun's chest. 

"You're safe," Jongdae said. 

"This is very nice and all," Baekhyun said, "But that big hole is still in the sky. What are we going to do about it now?"

Saving Junmyeon hadn’t done anything to destroy the hole or stop it from growing bigger and bigger. Perhaps it had destabilized, as it now looked more like a tornado, circular winds blowing above the whole city. If he didn’t act soon, would the whole city be sucked inside?

"Can we...unravel it?" Sehun asked, "If I run in the opposite direction, would that unravel it?"

When no one answered, Sehun continued speaking. 

"I don't know science obviously, but I'm just throwing ideas out there before the whole city gets destroyed," Sehun said, "Does anyone have a better plan?" 

Silence. Again. 

“If what Junmyeon said was true,” Jongdae said at last, “then it’s possible he ruptured the space-time barrier.”

“Fuck,” Baekhyun said, “then this isn’t just any hole…it’s a wormhole.” 

Sehun was glad he never studied much science in college aside from general education requirements so the severity of that concept was lost to him. 

"Let's say you try and run near the wormhole to close it,” Joohyun said, "What if it swallows you and you're sucked into the past...if this is really true?" 

"What if you're stuck there?" Seulgi said, "In a whole different time?" 

Jongdae held Sehun’s hand and squeezed it tighter as he heard all these different what ifs, what ifs, what ifs. The lightning crackled and zipped across Sehun’s knuckles, but it didn’t hurt. 

"I have to try," Sehun said. He was standing still, but his heart was knocking against his chest. "I don't have any other choice. I can't let anyone from the city get sucked into the wormhole. Just...take cover, all right? It looks like it's picking up speed." 

Sure enough, the wormhole began twisting faster and faster. For now, nothing was sucked in, but Sehun couldn’t wait until the first house or person disappeared into it. 

"If that's the only plan, then I'll try it. If no one has any better ideas, then I’m going now," Sehun said. 

He looked across the area, finding Baekhyun staring at him with wide eyes, his hands tangled in his hair. Joohyun pressed her hands tightly over her mouth, supported by Seulgi who had clutched her shoulder. Then he looked back at Jongdae. Jongdae and his unwavering gaze. Jongdae and his curled lips. 

"I'm coming back," Sehun told him. No good-byes. Just a promise. "So wait for me, okay? I'll be back in a second before you can even blink, before you can even take another breath. I'll come back you, and when this is all done and over with, do you want to pick up a pizza and chill at home? On the rooftop?" 

Jongdae smiled and grasped the sides of Sehun's face. Sehun tilted his head to lean into Jongdae's touch. 

"I'd love that very much, Sehun," Jongdae smiled. His gaze was bright, and not a single tear could be found in his eyes. Sehun wondered if Jongdae was only staying this calm so he wouldn't start panicking and lose himself. 

Jongdae leaned forwards and kissed Sehun once. 

"Now end this and come back to me," Jongdae said. 

Sehun nodded as his lips buzzed. He didn't take an extra second to stare at Jongdae one last time because one second would have turned into two, two into three, three into three thousand years. So without looking back, he disappeared and ran towards the circle that was still alive without Junmyeon to power it. 

Sehun entered the circle and tried to run against the direction of the winds, only to be swept aside and blown off track. He tumbled onto the ground with a groan a few meters away from the ring, struggling to pick himself up. As he stayed on the floor, he asked for help.

"I can't run directly against this," Sehun shouted, fighting to be heard above the winds. "What do I do?" 

"Run outside the circle?" Jongdae suggested.

"Or in the innermost circle," Baekhyun said. 

"He'd have to cross through the winds to reach the innermost circle," Joohyun said, "Wouldn't that hurt?" 

"But that might be the most effective way to stop it since he'll be within the storm. Not on its perimeter," Baekhyun said.

"Got it," Sehun said as he pulled himself up on sore limbs. 

Without a second thought, Sehun ran through the blue barrier. The winds tore at him as he tried to pass through, and it felt like ice was scraping his cheek and tearing his skin apart as he gritted his teeth and continued to run. After a few seconds, he managed to reach the innermost ring, the winds surrounding him now. He paused to catch his breath before he turned around and began running in the opposite direction. Sehun’s whole body was aching, and perhaps his exposed skin was bleeding from what he had just suffered through. Nevertheless, he continued pumping his arms and running and running and running. 

"Is it working?" Sehun shouted, "Is the wormhole growing any smaller?" 

But he heard only static and a few scrambled words. 

"Hello?" Sehun said again. 

Finally, Jongdae's voice pierced through the static and the jumble of sounds. 

"The winds are dying down a bit, but the wormhole's still growing bigger," Jongdae said. 

Sehun continued running because there was nothing else to do. But he was growing exhausted, and he couldn’t keep this up for much longer. There had to be another way to save the city. There had to be. Sehun fought to remember anything Junmyeon said that might be useful. 

Junmyeon had said that it would only close if something entered it.

So what if he did?

What if he jumped through the wormhole? 

"Jongdae," Sehun said as loudly as he could, "I'm going to try something. I don't know if it’ll work, and honestly it seems like kind of a bad idea right now, but we're out of options." 

"I know," Jongdae said, his voice disrupted by static. Even now, Jongdae seemed calm. "If anyone can save this city, it's you." 

“I promise I will find my way back to you,” Sehun said before he breathed and ran, gathering enough speed and momentum before launching himself into the wormhole. 

He squeezed his eyes shut as he soared inside the blue light, limbs splayed, only to open them again when he felt his feet touch something that was neither real nor unreal. Sehun slowed down but kept moving as he stared at the blue space that surrounded him. Perhaps it was a trick of his mind or something else, but he began to see different pieces of his memory floating around him. Then he heard snatches of words and phrases he recognized and didn’t recognize. 

"I'll come back."

"It's a girl." 

"I'll come back." 

"My name's Jongdae."

"I'll come back." 

"I love you more than I fear anything." 

"I'll come back." 

"With all my heart, I do." 

"I'll come back."

Sehun shook his head and thought of Jongdae to ground him in the moment, to force the fear in his heart to fade. And suddenly at the end of the tunnel, Sehun saw an image of Jongdae walking right outside of Sehun’s work building. That must be it. His way out, right? Maybe Joohyun had briefly returned to work to write about the events that had just occurred, and Jongdae was joining her while he waited for Sehun to return. 

With his pulse climbing into his throat, Sehun stretched his arm out and reached for Jongdae. But he touched nothing and found himself tumbling out of wherever he had been before skidding on the streets of Central City. He groaned, staring at the sky as he lay on the ground and recovered. Not a single trace of blue light was to be found above him. Sehun covered his eyes with his hands and breathed in relief. 

He had done it. 

He had imagined entering and exiting a wormhole would be harder, but he wasn’t complaining.

Sehun pulled himself up to his feet after catching his breath and stood on aching legs. It seemed he had landed far away from City Hall. Near the park. At this time of the night, it was empty, save for some couples taking late walks and some joggers exercising. Sehun walked around the grass as he clutched his shoulder. He had landed on it after falling out of the wormhole, but he was sure it'd heal soon.

Sehun pressed a finger to the lightning bolt around his ear but heard only static.

"Hello?" he said. No one answered him. 

“…Hello?” he tried again. 

Maybe the wormhole had damaged his comms, but it was no matter. Sehun would meet everyone at City Hall again. They were probably all waiting for him there. Sehun took one last look at his surroundings before running to City Hall where he found… 

Nothing? 

Or everything, rather. 

There City Hall stood, still intact, still standing. There was no rubble and debris scattered around the streets, and not a single ember or puff of smoke was to be seen. Only the wind kept him company as he stood in front of the building, wondering where everyone went.

There was no reason to panic. No. None at all. Jongdae and Baekhyun were probably waiting for him at home, so home Sehun ran, only to find his apartment empty and the lights all turned off. With his heart on the verge of stopping, Sehun checked every single room, finding the beds unmade and the living room untidy. Maybe Jongdae was next door with Baekhyun. 

But Baekhyun’s apartment was empty, too. 

Sehun started pacing around Baekhyun’s living room for a whole minute before he snatched up a backpack he’d never seen before from Baekhyun’s couch before heading back to his apartment. There, he rummaged in his wardrobe, changing into a red sweater he hadn’t seen in a long time and some black jeans he swore he had lost somewhere in the laundry. After stuffing his Flash suit into Baekhyun’s backpack, he threw his hood over his head and headed out. 

Something wasn’t right. 

Sehun walked through the streets with his hands shoved in his pockets, brushing past everyone who walked near him. Nothing seemed wrong in the city. No one was in danger. The TV he passed by was showing a news broadcast, but there was no mention of Godspeed.

After he walked in circles around the same few blocks hoping to clear his mind, Sehun finally panicked and zipped to the nearest open store. 

"Hello?" Sehun said as he pushed the front door open, the bells tolling to announce his arrival, "Are you there?" 

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Kyungsoo said when he noticed Sehun, "This is my store after all. Are you here to finally commit and buy something?" 

Sehun threw back his hood and gasped. 

"I haven't bought a ring yet?" he said, hurrying to the front counter, "But I...But I thought that I did?" 

He touched the top of his chest, sighing when he felt the ring through his sweater. 

Then he froze. 

"Are you okay?" Kyungsoo asked, looking at him strangely, "Do you want to look around again? I'm closing up soon, but I mean...you're always here anyways so I know you'll leave if I ask." 

"What's today's date?" Sehun asked. 

When Kyungsoo checked his phone and answered, Sehun’s heart finally stopped. 

Because he finally realized what had happened. 

If Junmyeon had opened the wormhole hoping to return to the past and Sehun had entered it, then he hadn't returned home. 

He had only run to the _past_. 

Nearly half a year ago, to be more exact. 

"Is everything okay?" Kyungsoo asked. 

"I...I'll be back," Sehun stammered before running out the door and sprinting through the streets, wildly passing by stores and restaurants without knowing where he was going. He ran at a normal speed because he was still trying to remember what had happened a little more than half a year ago. What did happen? What didn't happen?

If he remembered properly, the first bomb exploded before this date. The one Sehun didn’t have time to run to the ocean. The one he had to let explode so he could take all the surrounding civilians to safety. At this time, Joohyun didn't know he was the Flash, so he couldn't ask for her advice. And at this time— 

Sehun had passed by Jitter's before something caused him to double back, peeking through the window as his heart fell out of his chest.

And Soojung was alive. 

As Sehun stared through the window, he felt tears gather in his eyes. There she was, wiping down tables on the other side of the store. She was _alive_. Sehun watched for a few more seconds before he burst through the doors and ran straight towards her. Without saying anything, he immediately hugged her tightly, causing her to drop her towel in surprise. 

Soojung was in the middle of pushing him off with a shout before she looked up and hugged him back after realizing who was holding her. 

“Sehun,” she said as she patted his back, “what’s this?” 

Sehun pulled away for a second, and Soojung’s eyes widened as she noticed the tears threatening to spill onto his cheeks. She noticed the customers staring and led him to a table in the back. 

“One second,” she said before running behind the counter and pulling out a mug. She poured him some coffee before returning. 

“Are you okay?” she asked as she set the mug in front of him. 

“It’s…been a really long day,” Sehun said after thanking her and pulling the mug towards him, “and I missed you so much.” 

He couldn’t help it. A tear finally dropped from his eyes and slid down his cheek. 

“You saw me this morning,” Soojung said, “It hasn’t been that long at all.” 

“It’s felt like months to me,” Sehun sniffled. 

“Sehun,” Soojung tried again, this time the edges of her lips lifting up, “You could’ve waited to see me tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere. It’s not like any of us are going to leave here any time soon, right?” 

“Right,” Sehun took a shaky breath. As he blinked, another tear slid down his cheeks. If he weren’t careful, he’d break down right here, right now. 

“Listen,” Soojung said, glancing at her manager who tapped her watch impatiently, “I have to get back to work. Is there anything else?”

Sehun felt a lump in a throat, so he swallowed and tried to talk. 

“Sorry I interrupted your shift. I just wanted to say what I said,” he said. 

“Oh!” Soojung said, slapping her hand on the table, “One more thing. I was going to ask…Is it fine if I list you as an emergency contact? I don’t…really have anyone else other than my sister and…” 

She dropped her gaze and left the rest of her words unsaid. The lump in Sehun’s throat strangled him, and it was almost impossible to even swallow, let alone speak. He clenched his fists together and slowly exhaled. 

“Of course,” Sehun said, forcing the tips of his lips upwards. He took the pen and the small slip of paper that Soojung offered him before writing down his name, his address, and his contact number. 

“Thank you so much. You’re sweet, Sehun,” Soojung smiled as she took the paper, “the sweetest. I have to get back to work now, but please stay as long as you want.” 

She touched his shoulder as she left, but Sehun sprang to his feet and pulled her into a hug one last time. 

“Please remember,” Sehun hoarsely said, “that you are loved. By so many people, okay? Your friends, me, and especially your sister. Your sister loves you more than anything in the whole world.” 

Soojung tilted her head, peering up at him as if wondering why he had said this out of nowhere.

“Thanks, Sehun,” Soojung said at last, a beautiful smile spreading across her face, “See you tomorrow. I’ll make your coffee just like you love it. The same, right?” 

“The same,” Sehun nodded. Soojung waved and headed behind the counter, busying herself with the coffee grinder. 

Sehun stared a while longer, but he was scared that he would never go, so he forced himself to leave the coffee shop. Every step he took away from her hurt. A gust of wind blew against his face and his hair when he stepped outside, and he breathed deeply before taking off and running through the streets. He wasn’t running at his maximum speed or even a particularly fast speed, and yet the lights and streets still looked blurry. 

He continued to run through the city for a while, passing by the mall, the theaters, the street full of restaurants with glowing, hanging lights. He didn’t really know where he was running to, when he was running to, and he finally stopped when he saw his work building across the street. As he brushed aside his tears, he saw a familiar figure walking towards the building. 

Jongdae. 

Sehun breathed. 

If anyone could fix this, Jongdae could. Sehun looked around once before sprinting across the street, grabbing Jongdae, and whisking him behind the building where he knew no cameras could find them. 

He held Jongdae as Jongdae stumbled, disoriented from the sudden change in surroundings without warning. 

After he recovered and noticed Sehun, he relaxed and smiled.

“Hey,” Jongdae greeted him, “I was just about to…” 

Then he saw Sehun’s expression and paused.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. 

Sehun could only stare at this Jongdae, the sight of the man in front of him causing his tears to cease. His Jongdae from his time was blond, but the Jongdae in front of him had black hair. This must’ve been before the lightning struck him. 

“Sehun,” Jongdae said, touching his arm, “What’s wrong? Did you have to leave work early? Why are you out here?” 

Sehun sucked in a breath and began pacing around and around and around. 

“Please answer me,” Jongdae said, “You’re really starting to worry me.” 

But what should he say? Weren’t there some rules about time travel? Never change anything too much? Never tell anyone from a past time about the future? Never tell anyone you time travelled? 

“Jongdae, I time traveled,” Sehun finally said as he stopped in front of Jongdae. 

This was Jongdae after all. 

Jongdae paused, opened his mouth, but before he had a chance to say anything, Sehun continued onwards. 

“I know this sounds unrealistic, but please believe me,” Sehun said, running a hand through his hair before swiping at a stray tear on his cheek. “I just—” 

“Sehun,” Jongdae said, leaning forwards to grab Sehun’s shoulders. “Look at me. I believe you. Why wouldn’t I?” 

Sehun pressed his lips together and looked at Jongdae. 

“If it felt like you were the only one who believed me about the second killer’s existence for all those years,” Jongdae said, “then why wouldn’t I believe you.? So tell me, Sehun. What is it about you time traveling? What happened?” 

Sehun took another breath before trying to speak as calmly as he could. 

“I’m from the future,” he said, “I accidentally time travelled here, and I’m stuck.” 

Jongdae paused for three whole seconds before he collapsed against the wall behind him. 

“Wow,” Jongdae said, stepping back to place his hands on his head. 

“ _Wow_ ,” he repeated, staring at Sehun for a moment before he slowly nodded. 

“Okay,” Jongdae said, “First of all, don’t tell me anything that happens in the future. Anything you tell me, no matter how tiny, could cause me to act differently, which might potentially change the time you come back to.” 

“Okay,” Sehun said. 

“Second,” Jongdae said, “how did you…do that?” 

“Wormholes,” Sehun said. He could tell Jongdae that much, right? “At least that’s what future you and Baekhyun said.” 

“Wormholes,” Jongdae mused, “How did you even create wormholes?” 

“Running fast enough so it tears space and time,” Sehun said, “At least…that’s also what future you said.” 

Jongdae stared into nowhere, raising his eyebrows as he considered what Sehun told him. 

“So it really is possible,” Jongdae said, placing his hands on his hips, “But third…what the _fuck_? That’s so _cool_.” 

He lightly tapped Sehun’s arm with his hand and grinned. 

“How was it?” Jongdae asked, “Time traveling?” 

“Good since I can meet past you again” Sehun said, starting to relax. 

Jongdae laughed. 

“Do you think you can travel to the future?” Jongdae asked, “Well, a future past the time you’re from?” 

“I don’t know,” Sehun said, “I’ve only traveled to the past.”

“How far into the past can you travel?” Jongdae asked. 

“I don’t know,” Sehun said again, “this is my first time.” 

“Wow,” Jongdae said, “imagine if you could travel a thousand years back. Or even more. What would you find? Would you even see anything if you reached millions of years ago?” 

But then Sehun realized, with a jolt, that if he could time travel, then there was only one time, one place, one night that he’d want to travel to. With his heart hammering in his chest, his eyes flashed with realization as he spoke.

“What if I ran back further in time to the day your parents were murdered?” Sehun asked, slightly raising his voice, “And what if I stopped the murderers before they could do anything? Think of that, Jongdae…Your parents would still be alive.” 

Jongdae’s eyes widened before he took out a deep breath, relaxed, and smiled, his eyebrows knitting upwards. 

“My beautiful Sehun,” he said, reaching out to touch the side of Sehun’s face, “past, present, future…you’ll always have such a big heart.” 

“I should do it, right?” Sehun said, bouncing on his toes, ready to try, “I mean…I don’t even know how to get back home, but I’ll figure it out!” 

Jongdae sighed. He turned away for a moment to brush something off his cheek.

“Jongdae?” Sehun asked a little softer, “That’s what you’ve always wanted, right? Your parents back?” 

“Let’s say you do go back,” Jongdae said after a moment, turning back to Sehun. Sehun was stunned to find tears in Jongdae’s eyes. He hadn’t meant to cause that, and he quickly reached out to hold Jongdae. 

“Let’s say you go back and stop the murderers from killing my parents,” Jongdae said, gazing at Sehun with watery eyes, “Then what? Then I would’ve never run out into the rain, never followed the lightning, and never met you. And then what? Maybe we would’ve never met. Could you really live with that?” 

Sehun’s heart stopped for what felt like the thousandth time today. He hadn’t thought of that. 

“But you’ll have your parents again,” Sehun said before he smiled, “And think about it. No matter what timeline we’re in, I know we’ll find each other and meet again. I know you’ll come back to me, just like I’ll come back to you.” 

Jongdae returned the smile and buried his head in Sehun’s chest. For a moment, they stood like that, and Sehun hoped Jongdae would still be working at the lab when he returned. Or would he have a different career if his parents were alive? Jongdae had studied forensic science only because he had wanted to prevent cases like his parent’s from ever happening again and because he wanted to track down that second killer. Then…where would Jongdae be when Sehun returned? He supposed he could search through social media, but—

“Don’t do it,” Jongdae said at last. 

“What?” Sehun asked, “Why not?”

“I’ve…had a lot of years to deal with what happened,” Jongdae slowly nodded, “I spent my life growing up without them, but all my life with you. With Baekhyun. With the rest of my family. I don’t want to forget any of that, Sehun. I don’t want to forget any of the moments I’ve spent with you.” 

Sehun sighed. 

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“How many times do I have to tell you anyways?” Jongdae smiled. Sehun reached out to gently wipe a stray tear from Jongdae’s cheek. “Do something for yourself, Sehun. Be selfish. What if you run back to the future after changing the past and find that you live alone? That I’ve disappeared from all your photographs? Look me in the eyes and tell me that wouldn’t hurt.” 

Sehun couldn’t meet Jongdae’s gaze and stared at the ground. 

“Okay,” Sehun said, giving up that plan, “Okay…” 

“Just tell me this,” Jongdae said, “In the future where you come from, have I found the second killer? Is he real?” 

“I can’t tell you,” Sehun said, “I don’t know how much of this timeline that answer might change. But don’t give up, Jongdae.”

Jongdae lightly punched his arm in protest.

“Never,” Jongdae promised, “Never. I’ll search until the end.”

His eyes were gleaming now, his smile bright now, but Sehun remembered how distraught Jongdae had sounded when he had found out. What times Jongdae had coming for him. What times they both had coming for them. Sehun couldn’t wait to find out how the rest of his life with Jongdae would be like. 

“I have to go home,” Sehun blurted out. 

“You’re right,” Jongdae said, “Future me is probably losing his mind as we speak. We have to bring you home.”

“How do we do that?” Sehun asked. 

“Remind me…how did you even get here again?” Jongdae asked. 

“I ran really fast and jumped in a wormhole,” Sehun said. 

Jongdae stared. 

“Can you do it again?” Jongdae asked. 

“I…wasn’t,” Sehun tried to say before he stopped himself. He couldn’t mention Junmyeon. 

“Let’s just say I can’t,” Sehun said, “Yeah.”

“All right,” Jongdae said, clapping his hands together, “Let’s try again then. Take me somewhere so we can do this.” 

“Okay,” Sehun said, hands hovering over Jongdae’s waist, “Do you mind?” 

“Not at all,” Jongdae smiled, throwing his arms over Sehun’s neck. Sehun kissed his cheek before whisking Jongdae back to the park. 

“I’ll never get tired of that,” Jongdae said as Sehun held out a hand to steady him, “Now what?” 

“The perimeter I ran to get here was around the city,” Sehun said, “Do you think a lap around the park is big enough?” 

“I don’t know,” Jongdae shrugged, “I haven’t…seen what you’ve seen yet. Let’s go with yes and hope for the best.” 

“You’re the science guy,” Sehun said. 

“I didn’t know time travel was possible,” Jongdae said, “I don’t have a PhD in time travel…I don’t have a PhD at all.” 

“Yeah you do,” Sehun said. 

“You’re telling me I’m going to suffer through graduate school in the future just for a PhD?” Jongdae said, wrinkling his face. 

“No,” Sehun grinned, “You have an honorary PhD in stealing my heart and being the greatest boyfriend ever.” 

Jongdae laughed and shook his head. 

“Sehun, you’ll never get home at this rate,” Jongdae smiled, “But focus. Do you remember how fast you were going when you ran here?” 

Technically he wasn’t the one who had run at such speeds, but he still answered. 

“Mach 3,” Sehun said, “at minimum.” 

Jongdae sucked in a breath.

“You’ve never gone that fast before,” Jongdae said. 

“I still can’t,” Sehun said. 

“Then how did you…” Jongdae began to ask. 

“Long story,” Sehun quickly replied. It was better to keep his answers as short as possible to avoid accidentally revealing anything to Jongdae. 

“I can’t wait to see why you’d be running at Mach 3 in the future, but I’m ready to see you try now,” Jongdae said. Sehun winced when he remembered who had run at Mach 3 and caused this whole mess in the first place. 

“Okay,” Sehun said, looking around to make sure no one was looking before he changed back into his Flash suit. He was about to dart off before he remembered. If this somehow worked, then he wouldn’t have time to say good-bye, so he leaned forwards and kissed Jongdae. 

“Thanks for helping me,” Sehun said. 

“Anything for you,” Jongdae smiled before waving his hand, “Now go.” 

Sehun smiled and ran around the perimeter of the park again and again and again, concentrating every single last bit of energy he had into making that wormhole appear. Three minutes later, he looked up to the sky, hoping to find even a tiny speck of blue light floating among the stars. But there was nothing. 

After a few more minutes without any results, Sehun gave up, gasping for air as he stopped and fell to the grass. Jongdae ran to him, kneeling by his side and placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“How do you run faster?” Sehun asked between rapid, shallow breaths, “I can’t do it.” 

“I don’t know,” Jongdae said, “pump your arms? I don’t think that advice applies to you since—” 

Before Jongdae could finish speaking, Sehun leapt to his feet, gave Jongdae another kiss, and tried again. Again and again and again he ran around the park, pumping his arms, letting the momentum carry him through. This time, he thought he saw a glimpse of something blue twinkling in the sky. But before he could stare at it any longer, he tripped over a tree branch and fell, sliding on the ground so fast his suit would have burned off of him were it not for Baekhyun’s alterations. 

Sehun groaned and lay on the ground. Around him, the soil had been overturned and exposed everywhere Sehun had run and fallen. He watched a tiny speck in the distance run towards him. Thirty seconds later, Jongdae dropped to his knees again and checked on Sehun. 

“That looked like it hurt,” he said, touching Sehun’s arm, “Are you okay?” 

Sehun only groaned in response. Jongdae helped him sit up and held him as he caught his breath. 

After a few minutes, Jongdae tapped his shoulder. 

“Ready to get up and try again?” he asked, standing up and holding out his hand. 

Sehun reluctantly grabbed Jongdae’s hand and let Jongdae pull him up.

“You’ve got this,” Jongdae said, clapping his shoulder. 

Sehun jutted out his lower lip, standing still before Jongdae pushed him with a laugh. Sehun jogged backwards to the perimeter, keeping Jongdae in his sights before he turned around and tried again. And again. And again. 

The more he tried but failed, the more he panicked, letting his fear and his stuttering pulse tear him backwards. What if he really wasn’t fast enough to go home? After a few more failed attempts, Sehun skidded to a stop and sat on the grass, staring at the stars. If he imagined the blue wormhole hard enough, could it appear on its own? 

“What if I can’t do it?” Sehun asked after Jongdae sat down beside him. “What if I’m stuck here?” 

“Then that would make me the luckiest,” Jongdae said, “since I’ll have two Sehuns to love.” 

“But think of your future self who will have zero me’s,” Sehun said, stretching to try and ease the ache in his body. 

“Future me is probably dying without you as we speak,” Jongdae said, clucking his tongue. 

Sehun gave him a look.

“Okay, okay,” Jongdae grinned, “maybe you just need inspiration.” 

“Isn’t wanting to get home inspiration enough?” Sehun asked. But here was home, too. Home was wherever Jongdae lived after all.

“I don’t know,” Jongdae shrugged, “Is there anything in particular that you wanted to come back for? A concert we were going to? Something else? Flash Appreciation Day? If they don’t have that in the future, then I don’t know what this city is doing anymore.”

“I wanted to ask you a question,” Sehun admitted. 

“Oh? What question?” Jongdae asked, glancing at him with slightly narrow eyes. 

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Sehun said. He touched his chest to make sure the ring was still there and smiled when he felt the band.

“Fine,” Jongdae sighed, “I’ll wait…but how old are you now? I want to remember what you wanted to ask me.” 

“I can’t tell you,” Sehun said, “I think.” 

Jongdae whined, but Sehun kept his mouth shut. 

“Then you better get going,” Jongdae said after he gave up, “I’ve got to go, too. I was supposed to pick you up half an hour ago to go to dinner and the movies with the others.” 

“Oh,” Sehun said, remembering what would happen, “that day.” 

“You remember it?” Jongdae asked, “What happens today?” 

“I remember all the days with you, Jongdae,” Sehun said instead, not really wanting to tell him about Captain Cold. 

“Then let’s make sure there are more days for us to remember,” Jongdae said, standing back up again. Sehun agreed and rose beside him. 

“Here’s more inspiration and good luck,” Jongdae said as he grabbed his face and kissed him. Sehun held his waist as he kissed him back, sighing as they parted.

“Come back to my future self,” Jongdae ordered.

“I will,” Sehun promised. 

He hugged Jongdae one more time before he ran off, circling the park over and over again, trying to build as much momentum as possible. This time, he ran for himself because he needed to ask Jongdae that one question, he needed to know how Jongdae would answer him, and he needed to keep his promise and come back. This time, he ignored the pain his body, the tightness in his chest and ran onwards, onwards, onwards. And this time, he looked up and found the sky torn into two, blue light seeping out of the stars. 

This was it.

 Sehun had caused so much dust and dirt to fly around him as he ran, so when he looked backwards, he couldn’t see Jongdae. He refocused his attention on the hole again, running faster and faster until the hole widened enough for him to squeeze through. After lapping the park a few more times, he used the momentum he had created and leapt into the hole. 

There was fear. Fear tearing at his chest as he soared through somewhere he couldn’t understand. Fear clawing at his mind as he landed inside and started running again. Fear squeezing his heart as he realized he was alone now, alone in this strange blue space with nothing but the scattered voices for company. 

“Come back to me.”

“I’m here. It’s okay.” 

“Come back to me.” 

“Hey, meet my new friend. His name’s Baekhyun.” 

“Come back to me.” 

“We have to pick her up at 3:00 after school lets out.” 

“Come back to me.”

“Irises or roses for the flower arrangements?” 

“Come. Back. To. Me.” 

Sehun saw a light at the end of the wormhole, but before he could approach it, he became distracted by the shadows twisting to his left. He turned his head and saw a dimly lit room. A man arguing as he pushed a woman behind him. Another man standing in front of them with a knife. Another man watching with a raised gun. 

Sehun ran a little closer, as close as he dared to the darkness tainting the blue space and saw familiar features on the first man and the woman. Jongdae’s eyelashes on the woman who was trying so hard not to cry. Jongdae’s eyebrows on the man who tried to be brave even though he had nothing but his fists to fight these armed men. 

Sehun slowed down, watching the man with the knife edge closer to the couple. The man waved his knife in the air, the blade blurring into a silver streak as the woman screamed. 

Sehun could end it right now. 

He could jump back in time and stop everything now. 

But he remembered Jongdae’s words and reluctantly turned his head, missing the moment when the knife had first swung down and drawn the first blood of the night. 

Jongdae. 

He had to get back to Jongdae. 

So he sped away and ran forwards. The end of the wormhole felt so far away, its little exit unreachable. 

All of the sudden, the walls of the wormhole seemed to be closing in on him. It became harder for Sehun to breathe, and he wildly looked around him, wondering what would happen if he couldn’t escape. This wasn’t how he thought he would die. When he thought he would die. 

But as Sehun felt the ring bounce against his chest, he gritted his teeth and continued to run even though all he wanted to do was drop to the floor and sleep. If he got out of this…No. When he got out of this, he would curl up and sleep for at least a week.

After a few more moments, the light at the end of the wormhole luckily appeared closer and closer, and though Sehun didn’t know where or when it might lead, he kept Jongdae from the present in his heart and jumped.

Because he loved more than he feared.

Sehun tumbled out of the wormhole and fell onto hard pavement, rolling around until his body slammed against the side of a building. He didn’t have the energy to check if he had made it back to his proper time and simply lay there and breathed, feeling every single cell in his body curse him for everything he had put himself through tonight. 

“Flash?” someone said. 

Sehun couldn’t sit up yet, but he turned his neck to see some little boy running towards him. 

“Flash!” he said, dropping to his knees to push his shoulder, “Is that you? Why are you on the ground?”

“Hey there…I’m tired, buddy,” Sehun said. Tired was an understatement, but he cracked a smile for the kid. The boy let out a delighted laugh and jumped to his feet, chanting _Flash! Flash! Flash!_ Sehun watched him from the ground, too exhausted to care that the gravelly pavement was pressing against his cheek uncomfortably. A moment later, the little boy’s parents finally approached. 

“Oh, our son loves you! You’re his favorite hero!” his mother beamed. 

“Really?” Sehun asked, “that’s very kind of you. Thanks.” 

“Get up, get up, get up, get up! Keep running! Don’t stop!” the little boy said, tugging on Sehun’s arm. Sehun complied and at least pulled himself up to a sitting position. He offered the boy a high five and sighed. 

“Excuse me,” Sehun said, “this is going to sound weird, but…what’s today’s date and time?” 

The boy’s father checked his phone. 

Sehun held his breath and listened. 

And laid back down on the floor after he heard.

The boy pulled his arm until Sehun was forced to sit up again, but this time he let out a laugh as he listened to the boy continue to chant his name.

He had made it home. 

With a wide grin on his face, Sehun tried to stand up. The boy’s parents quickly reached forwards and helped him up when he struggled. 

“Thank you,” Sehun told them before placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, “I’ll see you around!” 

He couldn’t bring himself to even think of running, so he checked his surroundings and found himself just a block over from City Hall. Though he wanted to pass out, he trudged through the streets, eager to return. 

Minutes later, he arrived at City Hall’s back entrance. Or what was left of it anyways. 

Junmyeon’s bombs had really destroyed the whole building, and nothing was left but rubble and fire. As Sehun approached the wreckage closer, he saw a figure standing on the crushed cement and shoot a stream of ice at a small fire. 

“Jessica?” Sehun couldn’t help but call. Jessica hopped down from the pile of rocks, extinguishing a few more flames as she walked towards him.

“Flash?” she harshly whispered before she looked around, “What are you doing here? The action is all out in front.”

“I could ask you the same,” Sehun said before he managed a smile, “You’re helping? That’s so _sweet_. Thank you.” 

Jessica scoffed. 

“Please. I was planning to rob a building next to City Hall, and I can’t have any more cops around it than necessary or it’ll throw my plan off a few weeks,” Jessica said. 

“You care,” Sehun beamed. 

“I’ll shoot you right now,” Jessica said, aiming her gun at Sehun. It made a familiar high-pitched whir, but Sehun only continued to smile.

“No you won’t,” Sehun shook his head. 

Jessica paused. 

“Only because you look like shit,” she said, looking him up and down, “what happened to you? Why are you out here when everyone else is near the front entrance?” 

“I tried to stop a wormhole from devouring the city,” Sehun said, “But that didn’t really work so I had to jump in to close it, which transported me back to the past. So I had to run faster than I’d ever run to get back here.” 

Jessica was silent. 

“What the fuck,” she finally said. 

“That’s a mood,” Sehun said before correcting himself, “That’s been the mood.”

“Soojung…” she started to say, letting out a sigh, “she always did say you were the second bravest person she knew.” 

“Who’s the first?” Sehun asked. 

Jessica’s lips slightly turned up, and though she didn’t say anything, Sehun knew.

“Anyways,” Jessica said, shifting in place, “Get some rest. I won’t be robbing anything at any rate given the added security and police around the area…not that that’d make a difference in my success rate…but don’t worry.” 

“Thanks,” Sehun said, “I’d take a thousand year long nap, but I’ve really already done that and it was terrible having to catch up on everything.” 

“Don’t sleep for too long,” Jessica said, “the people too weak to stand on their own two feet need you.” 

“I…” Sehun said, “thanks for believing in this.” 

He pointed at the lightning bolt emblem on his chest. 

“The Flash?” Jessica said, swiveling around. Before Sehun had any time to respond, she walked away, slinging her gun across her back as she continued speaking just loud enough for him to hear. “I don't believe in the Flash. I believe in some kid named Oh Sehun. That’s all…I’ve found a new partner by the way. She likes to play with fire, so the next time you try to stop me, it won’t be as easy. Not that I’ve ever been easy on you.” 

“Take care of yourself, Jess,” Sehun shouted. 

Jessica waved her hand once before disappearing. In lighter spirits, Sehun decided he most definitely did not want to walk around the whole block to return to the front of City Hall. Instead, he walked through the rubble, careful to avoid the fire.

When he reached the other side, he saw firefighters extinguishing the fire and checking for any survivors, any bodies. Sehun had hoped the whole building had been evacuated properly, and he was relieved to see no bodies wheeled to the ambulances. When he finally stood on solid pavement again, someone shouted his name. 

“It’s the Flash!” someone yelled. 

“He’s back!” 

“The Flash!” 

Sehun was ready to literally pass the fuck out, but just as his knees began to buckle, a blur raced forwards and caught him. A beautiful golden blur. 

“Hey,” Sehun said, staring up at Jongdae. 

“Hey,” Jongdae smiled. 

“How the _fuck_ can you be so calm,” Baekhyun shouted, pacing around in a circle as he pulled at his hair, “What the _fuck_ …You fucking jumped into a wormhole, leaving us to die here for ten minutes while we thought you were gone? Forever?” 

Baekhyun finally stopped, stood in place, his chest heaving, and pointed at Jongdae. 

“And _you_ …I thought you of all people would be panicking like me,” Baekhyun loudly said, “But you just fucking stood there the whole time while Sehun was gone? Calmly?” 

“I guess that’s when I remembered a past conversation I had with you,” Jongdae smiled. 

“You really always save me,” Sehun smiled, “You are my past, my present, my future, and I can’t remember a time when the thought of you couldn’t bring me home.” 

Jongdae was about to lean in before a familiar voice interrupted them. 

“Flash! Thunder Boy!” Sunyoung said, running over with a mic as her camerawoman followed. “Can I get an interview?” 

Behind her swarmed a whole group of other reporters and cameras, but Sehun preferred to talk to Sunyoung. With a nod, he stood, or at least tried to stand, still having to lean on Jongdae. 

“You two look close,” Sunyoung noticed, gesturing at the way Jongdae supported Sehun with a hand, “Are you two…” 

“Hell fucking yeah,” Jongdae loudly said, and in front of the cameras, he pressed a quick kiss to Sehun’s lips. 

Sehun could not stop the biggest smile from forming across his face, and grinned. He was sure that everyone at home watching could see his cheeks turning bright red. 

“Cute,” Sunyoung laughed, “So tell me…there were reports of two Godspeeds. One at the music festival by the pier, and one at the City Hall bombings. Were they working together? Which one was the real one?” 

Sehun glanced at Jongdae, about to open his mouth to talk in case Jongdae didn’t want to. But Jongdae explained everything from Junmyeon blackmailing Dr. Lee with his past, Dr. Lee creating the speed drugs, Dr. Lee pretending to be Godspeed at the pier to draw police attention away from City Hall. 

“Blackmail him with what?” Sunyoung said. 

“That’s a story for another time,” Sehun said after feeling how Jongdae’s hand tightened on his waist, “I’m sure the truth will come out very soon.” 

“I’ll look forward to that,” Sunyoung said, “and you, Flash…You handled the City Hall bombing, right? What happened in there?” 

Sehun started from the first set of bombs in the basement and mentioned how he was only able to run one bomb out between his fight with Godspeed. He omitted any mention of what had happened between Dr. Lee and Jongdae. 

“Weren’t you scared when you only had a second left to run out?” she said. 

“Of course,” Sehun said, “of course I was afraid. But I had to save two civilians who were still inside the building, so I couldn’t listen to the fear. I just had to act.” 

“And he did,” Jongdae said, “He did, and fucking saved them before the bombs exploded. Isn’t he fucking amazing? Wait…sorry…this is live isn’t it?” 

Sehun grinned and continued explaining what had happened after Sunyoung quietly told Jongdae to be careful of his language since he was on national television. He left out his trip to the past and explained he had luckily managed to stop the hole from tearing apart the city just in time. 

“How did you do that?” Sunyoung said with wide eyes. 

“Oh, you know,” Sehun said, “I do what I usually do. Run. This time it worked out.” 

“Wow. As expected from a legend,” she said, “But why did you save Godspeed instead of letting him disintegrate? I’m sure there would’ve been vigilantes across the country who would’ve let him die if they were in your place.” 

“I had to get him home to his dad,” Sehun shrugged, “He’s still someone’s son, someone’s friend at the end of the day.” 

“You’re too fucking kind,” Baekhyun’s voice crackled in his ear. 

“I’m sure he’s grateful to you,” Sunyoung said, “We all are. Thanks to you both, everyone’s fine.”

“Are there any…casualties reported?” Sehun asked. Jongdae squeezed his shoulder. 

“None reported,” Sunyoung smiled. 

Sehun sighed.

“Good. I’m glad,” Sehun nodded. 

“With Godspeed gone,” Sunyoung said, “Do you think the city will return to its previous level of safety? How it was before?” 

“I don’t know,” Sehun shrugged, “there’s always going to be a robber here and there who’ll forget I can outrun any bullet they shoot at me, a fire that started by accident, and maybe there will even be some crisis that’ll make what happened today look like nothing. Not that…I want any of that to happen.” 

“But you’ll both be there to help if trouble comes again, right?” Sunyoung said, smiling like she already knew the answer before they even had to say anything. 

“Of course,” Sehun smiled, “We’ll be there.”

Sunyoung turned to the camera and repeated her closing statement. 

“This has been Park Sunyoung with the Flash and Thunder Boy. Thank you, and good night,” She said. 

Immediately afterwards, reporters pushed forwards, asking him for another interview, but he was exhausted and let Jongdae push the reporters away. Outside of the crowd of reporters, Sehun saw Baekhyun, but because they weren’t supposed to know each other, he only nodded once.

Baekhyun beckoned Jongdae over, and Jongdae briefly left Sehun’s side to join him. After turning away from Sehun and placing a hand on Jongdae’s shoulder, Baekhyun whispered something to Jongdae. Sehun took the hint and waded through the crowds, politely declining any other interviews, and when they finally left him alone to interview others, he found Joohyun and Seulgi by the police cars.

He darted back to grab two blankets and place them around their shoulders before they could blink. 

“S—,” Joohyun started to say before noticing the large amounts of cameras still around the vicinity, “Flash. I’m glad you’re fine.” 

“I’m glad you’re both fine, too,” Sehun said, “You’re not hurt anywhere…right?” 

He checked them for any serious injuries, but aside from a bit of soot and grime dusting their clothes and cheeks, they seemed unharmed.

Joohyun shook her head. 

“And you?” she asked, glancing at Sehun’s body in concern. 

“I’m fine,” Sehun said, “I think.” 

He didn’t want to look under the suit yet, but he was sure he would be fine with some rest. 

“The suit’s a bit tattered though,” he said, lifting his hands to look at the little holes and tears, “Baekhyun’s going to throw a fit.”

“He’ll get over it,” Joohyun waved her hand. Beside her, Seulgi yawned and blinked her eyes rapidly, ready to sleep. Sehun could relate. 

“I think I should take her home now,” Joohyun said. 

“Want me to run you back?” Sehun asked. 

“We’ll take a cab. You’re probably exhausted,” she said before adding in a softer voice, “but I still want your article submitted to the copy editor by noon tomorrow.” 

“Got it,” Sehun said before smiling, “Lunch tomorrow? You can show me what you’ve been writing lately.” 

“I know you have,” Sehun smiled as Joohyun stared at him, “Come on…it’s not like you can stop writing now that you’ve started again?” 

Joohyun relaxed and smiled. And nodded. 

“Pizza at the park?” she said as she took Seulgi’s hand. She already started walking away because of course yes. Of course. Sehun nodded once and waved, watching as they walked away. 

Meters away, Jongdae’s loud voice caused Sehun to turn around. 

“Okay, okay!” Jongdae said, “I’ve got it…”

He returned to Sehun’s side and crossed his arms, Baekhyun trotting after him with a grin. 

“What was that a—” Sehun was about to ask before someone interrupted him. 

“Good Evening. I’m Kim Minseok, reporter for the Daily Planet. May I ask you a few questions?” 

Sehun turned around to find a man around Jongdae’s and Baekhyun’s height dressed in a suit with his hair neatly gelled to the side. 

“Daily Planet…as in Metropolis’ Daily Planet?” Sehun asked. He wasn’t familiar with that many newspapers outside of Central City, but the Daily Planet was an exception. “What are you doing here?” 

“Sorry, we’re a little tired,” Jongdae asked, “Can you ask us the next time someone tries to blow the city up?” 

“Someone did blow the city up,” Minseok smiled, adjusting his glasses, “but you prevented any casualties. That’s amazing.”

“We’re just trying our best,” Sehun said, “That’s all.” 

Then he let out a long yawn and stretched. 

“All right,” Minseok said after watching the way Sehun drowsily leaned onto Jongdae for support, “I’ll hold you to that promise of next time. But I wanted to say that I know with all my heart that Central City is going to be in good hands with you two looking after it, and—” 

“Wait. I know why you’re here,” Baekhyun said, snapping his fingers. 

“Why am I here?” Minseok said, turning to Baekhyun with a smile, “Isn’t the reason clear? I’m not here to look at your city’s finest art, obviously.” 

Baekhyun paused and gestured to himself. 

“Well you are now. You’re welcome,” he said, earning a chuckle from Minseok. 

“So tell me why I’m here?” Minseok said. Now that it was clear he wouldn’t be able to interview Sehun and Jongdae, he devoted his full attention to Baekhyun. 

“You’re here because you’re sick of your newspaper always reporting about Superman, so you came here to interview the best superheroes,” Baekhyun nodded. 

“That’s…not it at all,” Minseok said, “Superman’s a man with good intentions and someone who’s also doing his best, just like these good people.” 

He gestured to Sehun and Jongdae without looking at them. 

“Superman is a man with too many powers. It’s boring,” Baekhyun said, “and he needs a better suit like. _Sweetie_.” 

Sehun watched in amusement. It would only take a small trigger to set Baekhyun off on these types of topics, and Minseok had unfortunately said all the right things to ensure Baekhyun would never shut up anytime soon. Not that he seemed to mind.   

“Superman needs a better suit?” Minseok said with another laugh, “It’s iconic.” 

“The point is,” Baekhyun said, “The Flash is better. And he has a better suit, too.” 

“Thanks,” Jongdae interjected. 

“The Flash is still young,” Minseok said. Sehun resisted the urge to tell him he was right here and he could hear them. “He has time to develop into one of the greatest superheroes of all time.” 

“That’s your bad, biased Metropolis opinion. The Flash is already the greatest?” Baekhyun said. 

“Then that’s your bad, biased Central City opinion,” Minseok said. 

Baekhyun crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

“If you want to tell me all the ways you think Superman is better than the Flash,” Baekhyun said, “then you better be ready to sit down and listen to every single reason why you’re wrong and why the Flash is better than Superman.” 

Minseok studied Baekhyun’s expression for a moment, never once betraying a hint of emotion. Baekhyun faltered when he received no reaction, and his expression was about to fall before Minseok smiled. 

“Great. Sounds like a date,” Minseok said, rummaging in his bag for something. 

Baekhyun blinked before placing his hand on the side of his face. He covertly shot Sehun and Jongdae a look and mouthed something incomprehensible. But Sehun smiled and waved his hand at Baekhyun to encourage him. Jongdae nodded and did the same. 

“Here’s my number,” Minseok said, passing Baekhyun his business card. Baekhyun accepted it silently, which was how Sehun knew Baekhyun was flustered. “But why wait? Know any good bars or late night coffee shops around here?” 

Baekhyun stared at Minseok wordlessly for almost a moment too long. Then he smiled and nodded, his cheeks reddening almost faster than Sehun could run. 

“See you both a—” Baekhyun said to Jongdae and Sehun before correcting what he was about to say, “around the city sometime. Good night, Flash. Good night, Thunder Boy.” 

“Good night civilian I’ve never met before,” Sehun said, waving a hand. 

He let out another yawn, holding onto Jongdae, too tired to walk anymore. Jongdae picked Sehun up, slipping Sehun’s legs under one arm and cradling Sehun’s shoulder with his other before slowly rising into the air. From up here, cities became tiny dots, and the rubble from City Hall looked like black pencil shavings. 

Though he wanted nothing more than to sleep, Sehun forced himself to stay awake and leaned into Jongdae’s chest. Thunder rumbled in the sky, lightning crackled around Jongdae’s heart, but it was only love that struck Sehun again and again. 

When he saw their apartment come into view, Sehun was surprised when Jongdae landed on the roof instead of taking him inside. But he didn’t complain. If Jongdae wanted to relax and talk, then they would relax and talk. As Sehun stood by the edge of the roof, he saw a car park near their building. 

“When did you order pizza?” Sehun said, peering down at the delivery boy that just stepped out of the car. 

“After you entered the wormhole so it’d get here in time,” Jongdae said. He must’ve seen something cross Sehun’s expression and laughed. “What? I knew you’d be hungry when you came back.” 

“You knew I’d come back?” Sehun asked. 

“Without a doubt,” Jongdae said, “it also helps that you came to me for help all those months ago or…minutes ago for you.” 

“Oh!” Sehun realized, “Of course. You knew what would happen.” 

“I didn’t know for sure,” Jongdae said, “I was only certain after you jumped into the wormhole.” 

“Thanks for your help again,” Sehun said, “I really couldn’t have done it without you.” 

“It was all you,” Jongdae said before he tugged off Sehun’s cowl. 

“There,” he said as he smoothed Sehun’s hair, “That’s much better. You’re the city’s Flash, but you’re my Sehun. Do you want to get the pizza for us?” 

Jongdae had to repeat his request twice because Sehun was too busy staring at Jongdae affectionately and thinking yet again how lucky he was to have him in his life. 

As he headed down the stairs, changed, and waited in the hallway for the delivery boy, Sehun took the time to process everything that had happened. 

Godspeed? Defeated. 

Second killer? Found. 

Dr. Lee? Brought to justice. 

Wormhole? Closed. 

Day? Saved. 

Not bad for someone who had been doing this for not even a full year. Sehun lightly kicked the carpet and smiled, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, like he could finally look forwards to tomorrow without having to worry about yesterday, like he could finally… 

Ask. 

He could ask Jongdae right here, right now. 

There were absolutely no excuses, no villains, nothing at all Sehun could hide behind and use to delay this moment. He brought his fingers to his chest and touched the ring, feeling his heart suddenly stutter in his chest and start accelerating even though he was standing still. But he hadn’t prepared anything. All he had was his own self, this ring, and this love in his heart. But that had always been enough for Jongdae, so— 

“Hey, what’s up?” the delivery boy said as he saw Sehun and approached him, jolting Sehun out of his thoughts, “Here’s your extra large order.” 

Sehun wordlessly nodded as he pulled out his wallet. 

“What’s up with all of this…” the delivery boy said, gesturing vaguely at Sehun’s face, “You okay?” 

“I have this thing I need to do,” Sehun said as he fished out some bills from his wallet, struggling to speak at a normal pace, “and I don’t know if now is a good time to do it, but I said I would do this thing after I did other things. And I did those other things, so I can do this thing now, but should I _do_ this thing? _Now_?” 

“Whoa, whoa,” the delivery boy said as he counted Sehun’s money, “I have no idea what you just said. I’m not paid enough for that. But if you have a thing you want to do, then go fucking do it, my _man_.” 

“You’re right,” Sehun said as he passed the delivery boy his tip, “You’re absolutely right. I just have to…do the thing.” 

“Do the thing,” the delivery boy firmly repeated before thanking him and leaving. 

“All right,” Sehun said as he pushed open the door to his apartment setting the pizza down on the coffee table carefully, “I’ll do it.” 

He paced around the living room with his hands behind his back, trying to make himself feel brave. During his life, he had faced armed gunmen, a rich trust fund kid who tried to blow up the whole city, and STEM classes. So something like this should be nothing. And yet here his heart was, pumping faster than Sehun had run when he ripped a hole through space and time. Because it was everything. Because Jongdae was everything. 

Sehun grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and screamed into it for at least twenty seconds. After he tossed it away from himself, he strode into the bathroom and splashed water onto his face. He couldn’t look grimy at a time like this. After patting his face dry, he peered into the mirror and noticed his reflection. All his cuts had already healed, and there was no mask to hide behind tonight. Sehun nodded at himself. 

“I! Can! Do! This!” Sehun said, punching the air with every word, “Yes!” 

He jumped up and down, continuing to stare at himself in the mirror. He could do his…he could do this…he could do this. Taking one final look in the mirror, Sehun took a deep breath and held it as he strode through his living room, snatched up the pizza, and stomped up the stairs back to the rooftop, preparing the words in his head as he climbed upwards. Yes, he’d do it right now, he’d say it right now, he’d get on one knee right now and tell Jongdae that he fucking lo— 

Sehun did not see the string of little lanterns hanging around the whole rooftop when he finally returned, the glowing balls of light hovering up and down, or even the lightning bent to form the shape of a heart. 

Because all he saw was Jongdae. 

Jongdae who had gotten on one knee.

And offered him a small, open box with a ring. 

“Sehun,” Jongdae began to say with a smile, “Th—” 

“ _No_ ,” Sehun shouted, dropping the pizza as his hands flew to his head, “Oh my _God…_ ” 

“ _What?”_ Jongdae said, his expression crumbling, “I…But I…” 

“Oh my _god_. Oh mY _GOD_ ,” Sehun said, walking around in a small circle as he struggled to process what had just happened. Jongdae stared at him for a few seconds before he closed the box. 

“Okay,” Jongdae said, getting up and brushing off his knees. “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about this, and…” 

He couldn’t finish what he wanted to say, and the tone of his voice snapped Sehun out of his panic and stopped him in his tracks. Sehun widened his eyes when he realized he hadn’t thought of how he had reacted and fucked everything up. 

“Oh, Jongdae,” Sehun said, hands grabbing his hair again, “Oh no…I’m so sorry. I…”

“It’s okay,” Jongdae said, attempting to smile before he gave up, “I just...thought you’d say yes? I hoped you’d say yes? I guess I shouldn’t have been too confident. I mean…I wasn’t since this is always a scary question, but at least I didn’t have to ask it, roght? Sorry I made you panic, and—” 

“ _Jongdae_ ,” Sehun loudly said, loud enough to make Jongdae stop speaking, “The only reason I panicked…was because you beat me.” 

“Beat you?” Jongdae softly said. 

“Yeah,” Sehun said, “I wanted to do it first. I’ve been worrying about this for months and years and just when I _finally_ gathered enough courage to ask you…You ask me first?” 

He yanked the necklace off his neck and dropped to one knee as he held out the ring. 

“I guess I get to beat you to the question at least. Will you marry me, Jongdae?” Sehun said, surprised he hadn’t started crying yet. 

Jongdae gasped and covered his mouth with his hands. 

“You fucking…” Jongdae said, and now it was his turn to turn away and place his hands on his head, his turn to cause Sehun’s smile to falter. 

Sehun was about to hide the ring, pretend the last few minutes never happened, and stand up before Jongdae tackled him to the ground with a yell. 

“How _could_ you?” Jongdae asked as a grin that suddenly spread across his face, “How _could_ you propose at the same time as me?”

Sehun stared up at Jongdae as he lay on the floor, admiring the star in front of him, and smiled.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Sehun said, “You really threw me off guard there, Jongdae. I was about to burst in, drop to my knees, and beg you to marry me, but you…surprised me like _that_.” 

Jongdae laughed and rested his head on Sehun’s chest. For a while, they simply lay there in silence, both wondering if they had dreamt every single event that had happened today. 

“I messed up,” Sehun said at last, “I messed everything up. I messed up your proposal, I messed up my proposal…I didn’t even get a chance to tell you everything I wanted to say.” 

“You didn’t mess anything up,” Jongdae said, patting Sehun’s chest, “We just surprised each other. And you can always tell me now.” 

Sehun’s heart was no longer beating at speeds no human heart should ever beat, but as Jongdae helped him up and they stood, staring at the city lights before them, he felt tears sting his eyes. 

“Well,” Sehun said as he faced Jongdae and took his hand, “I want to start by saying I love you. But…you already knew that.” 

He felt his bottom lip tremble and knew he was in trouble. There was absolutely no way he’d survive this speech without crying. 

“You tell me every day and every night,” Jongdae smiled, grasping his hand tightly, “of course I know.” 

“I’m a writer, but there aren’t enough words to describe how important you are to me,” Sehun said, cursing his throat for choosing this exact moment to begin to tighten. 

“My parents aren’t here right now,” Jongdae said a little softer. Sehun took a shaky breath. “But I know they are smiling down on us from wherever they are, and I know that they are thankful that you have taken care of me, that you have watched me grow up, that you have been in my life when they couldn’t. You’ve never met them, but I know they would love you as much as I love you.” 

Tears spilled out of Sehun’s eyes, causing Jongdae to reach forwards and gather him in his arms. 

“My sweet Sehun,” Jongdae sighed as Sehun cried. 

Sehun gave himself ten seconds to try and compose himself, but even after he failed to do so, he looked at Jongdae and found the same tears reflected on his face. 

“What is pain when you’re right here to kiss everything better? What is fear when I love you?” Sehun asked. He tried to continue, but he had to pause to swallow hard, to take another shaky breath. 

“What is loneliness?” Jongdae asked as he brushed aside his own tears, “What is death? What is time when I love you, too?” 

With his breath strangled in his throat and his heart feeling as if it had burst, Sehun reached out to hold Jongdae like it was the first and last time he’d ever have him in his arms. 

“So…yes?” 

“ _Yes_. Of course. And you…yes?” 

“Yes. With all my heart.” 

There was nothing else to do except this now. Jongdae helped him up and held Sehun’s hand with one hand, held out the ring with the other. Sehun had no time to worry whether or not it would fit before it was already on. 

“How did you know my ring size?” Sehun said, turning his hand to see how the lights danced and caught the gleam of the band. It looked like the one he had bought Jongdae, except the colors were inversed. He couldn’t believe Jongdae had gone to the same jeweler, and he couldn’t believe Kyungsoo had realized he was making rings for the same couple and had designed matching engagement rings. 

“Come on,” Jongdae said, “I’ve held your hands how many times, and you think I wouldn’t know how big your hands are, how thin your fingers are, how soft your skin is, and what your exact ring size is?”

Sehun smiled sheepishly and unclipped the chain from his neck to retrieve Jongdae’s ring.

“I had to borrow your ring while you were showering to check your size,” Sehun said as Jongdae offered him his hand, “I didn’t want to mess this up.” 

“Kyungsoo told me you spent two years looking for a ring,” Jongdae said after Sehun slipped it on his finger. “You really thought about it for that long? Two years?” 

If he were honest, Sehun had always dreamed of this since he was young, but he only had the time and the money to act now. 

“I needed to buy the best ring for you,” Sehun said, “I had one before, but he sold it when I was in a coma.” 

“I like ours,” Jongdae said, holding Sehun’s hand tightly, “I’m glad he customized them like that.” 

“We just saved a city, and now we have to worry about wedding venues and planning,” Sehun let out a laugh. 

“That’s easy,” Jongdae said, “because we’ll decide everything together. Three tiers of cake or five? Indoor or outdoor ceremony? Irises or roses for the flower arrangements? We have time to figure it out now.” 

Sehun hummed in response, staring at the way the ring fit on his finger, the way the ring fit on Jongdae’s finger. Before he could say something else, Jongdae tackled Sehun to the ground and pressed kisses to his cheeks. Sehun laughed until he cried again, and when Jongdae relented, Sehun stared at him and sighed. Jongdae had no thunder surrounding him, but there he was. Still the most beautiful, boldest, brightest light Sehun had ever known. 

“From now until the end of time,” Jongdae promised, “I’m with you. Even if we’re apart, we’ll always come back together.”

“But I can travel through time,” Sehun smiled, “So it’ll never be the end, not when I would rip space and time apart for you.” 

Many people said that lightning never struck in the same place twice. But if only they could see the way Jongdae and Sehun looked now as they kissed each other, with lightning crackling through Sehun’s blood, thunder illuminating Jongdae’s body, and the same love striking both their hearts, they would change their minds. And as Jongdae and Sehun continued to sit on the rooftop holding each other while the twinkling stars danced in the sky, not a single cloud dared to appear in the horizon on this very night.

 

 

ϟ ϟ ϟ 

 

 

WELCOME TO CENTRAL CITY

PROUD HOME OF THE FLASH AND THUNDER BOY

 

That’s the sign anyone entering the city would see. Many people still called the Flash a hero, their hero, their city’s hero. But Sehun hoped he could be more than that. Someone to talk to when people were scared. Someone to look to when people needed help. Someone to be friends with. 

Patrols weren’t strictly patrols anymore, especially when there was less crime hunting and more hello city, hello world, hello everyone. Sehun didn’t run as fast as he could through the city nowadays. He preferred to take his time, slowing down to run alongside cars. 

“Hey, Flash!” someone called out this morning, rolling down the passenger’s window, “How’s it going!”

“Hey, Yubin,” Sehun called out, slowing down to run beside the car, “Your interview’s today, right? Good luck!” 

“Thanks for remembering, Flash!” she smiled.

Sehun waved and zipped off. 

“Mrs. Kim!” he said, stopping by the grocery store to see Mrs. Kim who was opening for the morning, “I haven’t forgotten about my promise to restock your inventory tomorrow. I’ll be there in and out and have everything unpacked in a second.” 

“Flash!” she said, beaming as she reached forwards to hug him, “Thank you so much! It’s so nice to have you help out while so many of my employees are on vacation.” 

“Of course!” Sehun smiled, hugging the old woman back. She handed him an apple, patted his shoulder, and sent him off for the day. 

As Sehun ate his apple, he cheerfully darted around the streets and zoomed by the park. He loved the feeling of the ground beneath his feet, the wind in his hair, and the electricity crackling in heart. Around the park, he saw someone familiar running around the trails and slowed down to match her pace. 

“What’s up,” he said, “how’s training for the state championships?” 

“Hey, Flash!” Yeri said with a smile, “It’s going really well! I don’t care if I win first or not, but that’s what I’m going for. First.” 

“Maybe one day you can catch up to me,” he grinned. 

“Yeah, I’m coming for you,” Yeri smiled. 

“Good luck with everything, and I’ll see you around,” Sehun smiled before he zoomed off.

He passed by the jeweler’s, stopping to loiter around Kyungsoo’s place and catch up with him for a minute. Then he delivered the extra food from Chanyeol’s bakery to the shelter. And finally, after it was time to work, he raced to S.T.A.R. Labs to change into civilian clothes. Baekhyun and Jongdae had converted the abandoned lab into their new headquarters, so Sehun could keep his suit there when he didn't need it, and Baekhyun could work with more than just a few laptop screens. After leaving S.T.A.R .Labs, he met Jongdae and Baekhyun at Jitter's. 

Jongdae and Baekhyun were waiting for him outside, and when they saw him, Jongdae greeted him with a kiss, and Baekhyun looped his arm through his as they waited in line. 

“Three Flashes, please,” Jongdae ordered. 

The waitress smiled and placed their order. 

“You’re not ordering the same thing you always order today, Sehun?” she asked with a smile.

“Not today,” Sehun said, “but tomorrow. I’ll be back, and it’ll be the same.” 

Five minutes later, they were walking towards Jongdae’s and Baekhyuns’ lab. It was located in the opposite direction of Sehun’s own work building, but Sehun had the time to walk with them. As the sun danced on their skin and a gentle breeze tousled their hair, they continued chattering like usual. As they were discussing future plans, they reached the outside of the building. 

“For tonight,” Jongdae began to say. 

“I’ve got another date with Minseok,” Baekhyun said after clearing his throat, “So don’t wait for me tonight.” 

“He’s coming all the way here again to see you?” Jongdae asked, “What…can he fly or something?” 

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun said, “maybe he’s super rich and has a private jet. But then again. He’s a journalist. No offense, Sehun.” 

“I’m just glad you finally found someone,” Sehun said. 

“Yeah, well,” Baekhyun shrugged, his cheeks slightly pink, “We’ll see how it goes. I haven’t dated in a while, but how can anyone resist my charm?” 

He lightly punched Sehun’s and  Jongdae's arms before sprinting into the building. 

Jongdae and Sehun watched him go before Jongdae took Sehun’s hand in his. 

“See you tonight for dinner and patrolling after?” Jongdae asked as he swung their clasped hands together, their rings glinting in the sunlight. 

“Of course,” Sehun smiled. 

“Work might run late because there’s a cold case we’re close to cracking,” Jongdae said, “but I’ll come home to you as soon as I can.” 

“And I’ll be waiting,” Sehun said. 

He pulled his hands out of Jongdae’s grip to hold Jongdae’s face before he kissed him. Jongdae looped his arms around Sehun’s waist and held him tightly. They swayed on the spot, both smiling into the kiss.

“See you around, Flash,” Jongdae said when they broke apart with dazed grins, flushed cheeks, and stars in their eyes. 

“See you around, Thunder Boy,” Sehun said, pressing one last kiss to Jongdae’s cheek before he all but skipped to work. 

As he walked through the lobby, he almost bumped into a woman who was too focused on the news broadcast she was watching on her phone to see him. Sehun heard a snippet of the news before she turned the corner and disappeared 

“Mysterious green UFO crashes near Central City perimeters. The—” 

Sehun jammed the elevator, in a hurry to see Joohyun. Today, she was interviewing him for her article. Lately, they’d been taking turns. One would write the article, the other would edit, and they’d switch for the next assignment. Joohyun was writing this week’s column on Sehun because an article about him was long overdue in her opinion. 

As Sehun stepped out of the golden elevators, he greeted every co-workers that he passed. Along the way to his office, he caught a glimpse of today’s newspaper on a co-worker’s desk and glanced at the headline.

 

MAYOR’S SON KIM JUNMYEON SENTENCED

 

Sehun entered the room with a smile and greeted Joohyun a moment later. She had been staring out of the window thoughtfully and only noticed him when he sat at his desk. 

“You know,” Joohyun mused, “you and I should really start a newspaper together.” 

“Okay,” Sehun smiled as he placed his bag down, “What would you call it?” 

Joohyun thought for a moment before answering. 

“I don’t know,” she said, “how about the Central City Citizen?” 

“Central City Citizen,” Sehun said, “I like it…It has a nice ring to it.”

“Now about that interview,” Joohyun said, pulling out her notepad. 

“Ask me anything at all,” Sehun said, twisting the ring on his fourth finger before raising his hand to admire it. He couldn’t help it. He loved looking at this reminder of Jongdae, loved looking at the reminder of his love. 

As Joohyun opened the notepad and grabbed a pen, Sehun stared at her own wedding ring. A simple, elegant band with a big diamond protruding from it. But today, Joohyun wore another ring on her middle finger. This one was green with a subtle glow emitting from it. 

“That’s new,” Sehun said, pointing at the green ring, “Where did you get that from?” 

Joohyun looked down at her hand and stared at the ring for a while before she finally spoke. 

“Long story,” she said, “But I’ll tell you after your interview.” 

“All right,” Sehun said, tearing his eyes away from the green ring, “What first?” 

“Let’s start with the question you always begin with,” Joohyun said, twirling a green pen between her fingers, “Who are you?” 

“Who am I?” Sehun said, only realizing how cruel that first question must have been to his interviewees. There were so many things to say and nothing at all. 

“Speak honestly,” Joohyun said, “I’ll cut out any Flash-related answers.” 

Sehun nodded and stared out the window as he thought. Not a single cloud, dark or white, appeared in the skyline today. 

“My name is Oh Sehun,” Sehun said, looking back at Joohyun, “During the day, I work as a journalist for the Central City Times, and during the night, I’m the fastest man alive. But my full time commitment? Your best friend. Baekhyun’s brother. Jongdae’s husband.”

“Take all of that away, and who are you?” Joohyun asked. 

Sehun smiled. This was the easiest answer he had ever given. The lightning thrummed in his heart as he sighed, and as he stretched and leaned back in his chair, he replied. 

“Just me,” he said. 

“Sehun.”

 

 


End file.
